The Longest Line
by UchihanoChidori
Summary: Sasuke decides to give someone a chance in a somewhat steady relationship. However, his teammates realize that maybe they are not ready to give him away just yet. SasuNaru/NaruSasu in later chapters. *Under revision*
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Summary:** Sasuke has a lover no one knows about. When he decides that going steady with said person might be worth a shot, his teammates realize they're not ready to give him up just yet. Canon verse. Sequel will contain Mpreg.

**Pairings: **SasuNaru/NaruSasu, SasuSakuNaru (platonic), SasuNeji/NejiSasu, NaruHina, NaruGaa, KakaIru, ShikaTema and more.

**A/N:** In this story, Kakashi did bring Naruto and Sasuke back to Konoha after their fight at the valley of the end. Most of the Akatsuki has fallen – as well as Orochimaru – including Itachi, who died by Sasuke's hands.

**Beta Reader: **The Lovely** chase3136, **who is doing a terrific job revising this!

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><p><strong>The Longest Line<strong>

**Prologue**

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You have to. We can't go on like this."

"There is _nothing _to talk about."

"Obviously there is, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting naked at your table, in your house, after we've just had sex".

Blank white eyes stared defiantly into steel ones that stared back coolly across the small, round kitchen table.

Neji crossed his arms over his bare chest and waited patiently for the other brunet to ever so slowly light his cigarette like he had all the time in world – which the Hyuuga just knew he was doing on purpose to delay the conversation. That was just too damn bad, because Neji wasn't backing away anymore, even if it meant him staying there the whole night _**i**_n his birthday suit, staring daggers at his companion.

Uchiha Sasuke took a drag _o_n his cigarette and sat back in his chair, grunting softly so as to show how unpleased he was with being forced to face something he did not want to even take the time to consider.

"Why the fuck do you always have to complicate the simplest things, Hyuuga?" he asked dryly, scratching the – rather appealing, in Neji's opinion – curve of his neck.

"Because I'm getting kind of sick of not knowing what _this _is," the brown-haired Shinobi said, gesturing between himself and Sasuke. "It honestly bothers the hell out of me and I want something to define it."

Sasuke sighed before shaking his head negatively with an exasperated gesture.

"It was mistake; that's all there is to It." _h_e said.

Neji just had to roll his eyes at that.

"Look, Uchiha, the first time was a mistake, and so was the second, _and_ the third, but by now, on our…" Neji started counting on his fingers, making a sarcastic kind of scowl "…_seventeenth_ time fucking each other's' brains out I'd say this goes way beyond the lines of what a _mistake_ is supposed to be."

Sasuke made an annoyed clucking noise with his tongue but did not answer, instead he focus_e_d on smoking his cancer stick nonchalantly.

Neji inhaled sharply through his nose, making a disgusted face at the smell. He was fuming but he had to remain calm_**,**_ no matter what_**,**_ if he wanted to come out victorious of this whole situation. The Uchiha could be stubborn_**,**_ but then again, so could he.

"It's not like I'm a prude or anything," he said, choosing his words wisely. "Theoretically_**,**_ I'm all for one night stands and everything, but this has been going on for too long and I'm becoming…rather possessive of your…presence."

Sasuke quirked an elegant eyebrow at him and set his cigarette over the small grey ashtray in the middle of the table before resting his chin on one hand as a small, conceited smile made its appearance on his thin lips.

"You're becoming attached," he murmurs softly. "Please, don't tell me you're in lo…"

"I'm not," Neji's words cut through the sentence instantly. "But maybe I want to try and find out what it's like."

With triumph, Neji saw Sasuke's smile vanish as fast as the speed of light.

"No, you don't."

There it was – he was running away again.

"You don't know what I want." The older male defended.

Sasuke bit his bottom lip, looking at Neji like he had never seen him before, various emotions reflected on his attractive features. There was denial, hesitation and stubbornness, but Neji was sure he could break down those barriers; he had come to know the last remaining Uchiha all too well through the years.

"What are you trying to say?" Sasuke asked, his voice dropping suddenly to a level that would be intimidating for most people, causing Neji's heart to skip a beat – not in fear, but in pleasure. Sasuke could be very enticing when he was mad.

_No_, Neji thought. He wouldn't falter because he could not allow himself to show whatever weakness he possessed towards their current situation.

"I'm trying to say that I'm not a people person, Sasuke_**.**_" he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "And neither are you. If we've come this far together despite how many women, and some men, we both have interested in us, it means we are mutually attracted to each other which, I believe, is something that shouldn't be wasted, considering that we don't connect to people easily. It's just begging to be tested."

Sasuke blinked a few times, looking thoroughly confused and incredulous. To match his expression, Neji raised his eyebrows. Then, the Uchiha laughed spitefully like it was the most absurd thing he ever heard.

"Would you listen to yourself?" he said, running slim fingers over his shiny, bluish midnight hair. "You and I? Together? That's got to be the most absurd thing I've ever…"

"I don't see why not." Once again, Neji was forced to assertively interrupt the younger male, who didn't look pleased at all, but still shut his mouth to listen, even if it was out of habit considering they worked together and Neji was his superior. "We are both powerful, intelligent men. We get along well enough and it's more than obvious that our chemistry works for the both of us because not only is the sex great, but we content ourselves with only each other as sexual partners. And before you even _think _about throwing some smart assed remark, I was the one who took your virginity, so don't lie to me and say you have another lover, because, trust me, I would know."

Neji watched as Sasuke snorted at his words and stood up nimbly, turning his back away from the Hyuuga to walk to the tiny sink and fill a glass with water.

Opaque eyes didn't resist the urge to relish on pale, fair skin that covered well defined and smooth muscles. It wasn't like Neji considered himself to be homosexual and experienced on how to appreciate a male body – hell, Sasuke had been his first and only male so far – but Sasuke _really_ was eye candy. He was amazingly fit, tall yet slightly shorter than Neji and his flawless face was beautiful without being effeminate. Sasuke was the kind of gorgeous guy that had an air of mystery about himthat made him unconsciously sensual. Somehow, since that night when they had gone out drinking together just to pass the time and ended up wasted **i**n Sasuke's apartment, Neji had been drawn to him like a bee was drawn to pollen.

And right now, enjoying the mere sight of the other's naked body made Neji's own body kindle with lust once more. The memories of what happened not even half an hour earlier weren't helping this particular situation.

_Fucking hormones. _He thought, scolding himself internally. _Focus, Neji! No sex until you've straightened things out with him._

Not for the first time, the Hyuuga understood all too well that it was that same need, that same attraction that made him lose control too fast for his liking.

He wanted Sasuke and he knew Sasuke wanted him. They were drawn to each other like magnets, hungry for power, and hungry for what they both could be and what they could learn together. It was not love, not yet, but who knew? Neji liked challenges and Sasuke was definitely worth the time.

The older male jumped slightly when Sasuke turned to face him, leaning his back against the counter and supporting his hands on the surface behind him. Neji had to clear his dry throat at the view he was presented with, which consisted o_f_Sasuke's charming – and rather respectable – manly pride.

"So, you are saying you want us to be in a relationship?" Sasuke asked, as if he was talking about the weather.

"I'm saying it's worth a shot."

"Is it?" This time it was Sasuke who was being sarcastic. "I'm not cut out for the relationship thing, Neji. I don't want to hold hands, or to go on dates. I don't want to meet your family and I don't want to be nice and lovey-dovey. I hate the concept of _being_ with someone and everything that goes with it; it's disgusting."

"It's because you don't like any of that that I think we should give it a try," Neji said**,** his own honesty amazing him. "I also happen to hate the typical couple concept, which makes me even more eager to see how things would turn out between us."

Sasuke actually smiled – a mischievous smile – as small, perfect teeth shone behind pinkish lips, causing Neji's nerves to shout in frustration with the need to touch, immediately. But the brunet would have to be patient, he couldn't, _wouldn't_ falter.

"You make it sound like such a lovely challenge." Mocking words came out of a tempting mouth.

"It is if you want it to be."

Sasuke's smile grew wider, nastier at that.

"Then what would this _joining_ consist of?" He seemed genuinely curious, even if his tone was slightly sardonic.

"Hanging out, getting to know more about each other, having sex whenever and wherever we want and, obviously, you giving me the undying pleasure of sleeping over instead of throwing me out as soon as you've satisfied you own needs."

"Come on, I never threw you out without satisfying _your_ needs as well_**.**_" Sasuke joked, tilting his head to the side.

"Don't try to be funny, that's beyond the point_**.**_" Neji grumbled, throwing a lock of his long, loose hair away from his chest with a pettish gesture.

Sasuke watched him intently, now with a thoughtful yet resentful expression, becoming serious all of a sudden. Neji was sure of what he would say next since the Uchiha tended to be so damn moralistic in the most inconvenient times.

"We're both guys," Ah, there it was. "And even though I'm not thinking about it right now, I'd like to have children someday."

"Yes, I already know all about your plans to continue your lineage."

The truth was_**;**_ the _Byakugan_ user was starting to get impatient. He didn't like to waste time talking, let alone waste his own tongue to convince someone to agree to do something that he himself wasn't sure about.

Instead of trying to push the subject further, Neji decided it was time to play dirty.

Sasuke's mouth was hanging slightly open by the time Neji got up to show him his own nude, very athletic form. Sasuke's eyes rolled down towards the visible hard-on the taller young man carried, a low appreciative sound coming out of his throat at the sight. The cigarette left on the ashtray over _on_the _kitchen_table was still releasing the acid smoke, practically reduced to ashes by now, but none of the boys took notice of this.

Neji made his short way towards Sasuke until both their naked chests were pressed against each other, the Hyuuga's breath ghosting over Sasuke's nose, tantalizing. Sasuke tilted his head upwards ever so gently so as to make sure their lips were mere millimeters apart. However, neither of them made any gesture to kiss the other.

"I'm not asking you to fucking marry me, Uchiha," Neji whispered in a soft but firm voice while his hands searched for Sasuke's on the counter. "I'm just saying 'let's do it' as in 'something good might come out of us being together'. If it doesn't work out, we move on with our lives. If it does…well, I guess we'll have to think about it when the time comes."

Sasuke smelled of rain and soap and cigarettes. He also smelled of sex and something stronger that Neji could not identify. Whatever it was, it always turned him on.

"What about peoples' opinion?" Sasuke asked_**; **_his dark grey eyes glued to Neji's, muscles tensing in need with the familiar feeling of the others' cock pressed against his own hardening member_._ Neji was sure he would win this, one way or another, even if it was a dishonest way of winning. "And…" No one but Neji knew just how incoherent Sasuke could be when he was horny. "What about your name? I'm sure your uncle wouldn't be too happy about it."

Neji smirked and leaned closer, brushing his mouth seductively over Sasuke's left cheek. Sasuke took some sadistic pleasure out of being teased. It was like his brain cells turned into goo and stopped functioning properly while his arousal got the best out of his body and forced it to act upon it.

"We are both lonely guys who are too self-centered to care about anyone _else,_ Uchiha**.**" he murmured, licking lightly at Sasuke's jaw and stealing a moan from him. "So tell me, do you care about what people think?"

"Do I look like I give a fuck about that?" Sasuke asked huskily.

Maybe it was Sasuke's raspy voice, or the way his hands grabbed Neji's and his body rubbed possessively against him. Maybe it was just the chemistry working its way too fast. It didn't matter.

Sasuke was like a cat, wild, independent, and way too curious for his own good. He loved a good challenge and no matter what he said, he was damn bored out of his mind and tired of being alone. That's why Neji was certain that the younger one would give in eventually, even if it was just out of sheer boredom and curiosity.

"Well then, don't you worry that pretty little head of yours about me, because right now…" Sasuke made a very promiscuous sound as Neji bit hard on his neck. "…All you have to think about is what's going to happen next. Are you going to fuck me again or are you in for a switch of roles?"

Luckily, Sasuke did not take long to answer because in less than a second his mouth was glued to the Hyuuga's, teeth clashing and tongues ferociously battling for dominance, Sasuke's fingers letting go of Neji's hands to bury themselves in his long silky locks.

As soon as Sasuke wrapped his legs around Neji and moaned demandingly like his life depended on it, Neji complied at once, more than happy to oblige.

That was a night of many victories. Not only did Neji get to top more than once in the next hour and a half, but he finally got Sasuke to ask him to stay and share his bed, which, coming from him, could only mean one thing: he had silently accepted Neji's proposal.

It was on.


	2. Chapter One: Not a Girl

**A/N:** A huge thank you to those who reviewed and all that. You are made of awesomeness!

Also, thank you to my lovely beta** chase3136 **who is doing a fantastic job! I'm learning, I swear!

Don't forget to review! Let me know if you like it, and if you don't, let me know as well so I can improve my work.

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Not a Girl<strong>

Team 7 didn't work often as a team anymore. There was no particular reason to it except for the fact that they all had their own paths to follow now.

After much work and dedication**_,_** Sasuke finally made it to ANBU. His next goal was to become a captain and lead his own team. Sakura was now a _Jounin_, working full time at the hospital**_._** And Naruto, also a _Jounin_ – despite having passed the exam the year after Sakura did – had been working as a teacher at the _Shinobi_ academy, and would soon be in charge of his own team of _Gennin_.

Kakashi knew they had all become strong, confident _Shinobi_ despite the ups and downs they had been through; especially after Sasuke had left Konoha of his own free will. When they brought him back**_,_** it had been hell for his three companions, because the young Uchiha had been angry and immensely frustrated that he had not been strong enough to do something as simple as escape successfully. Furthermore, the Hokage had been deeply displeased and the Council became too suspicious of Sasuke to deem him trustworthy.

For a whole year**_,_** he hadn't been allowed to leave the village or to go on missions. Those were dark times for Team 7, who had to deal with Sasuke's anger, his bad temper, and his determination to become stronger no matter what; as well as the constant fear that he would cross the line and leave again. Kakashi had done all he could to train him as much as he wanted and thankfully, both Naruto and Sakura had been mature enough to help and share some of the things they learned from their other masters with him.

Needless to say**_,_** he developed much faster than his teammates, being the first to make it to Jounin and joining the ANBU**_,_** even before Naruto had the time to catch up. He won back Tsunade's trust by protecting Konoha when the Akatsuki attacked.

Two days before Sasuke's eighteenth birthday, Team 7 was reunited and sent on a special mission to the location where it was believed Uchiha Itachi was.

It wasn't easy to track him down. Sasuke was already eighteen by the time the elder Uchiha was killed by him.

To everyone's surprise, the fight had a psychologically devastating effect on the brunet, who took his sweet time to recover from whatever bruises Itachi left on his heart. He didn't want to talk about any of it, and neither did his teammates dare to ask.

Things went smoothly from then on and Sasuke calmed down considerably**_,_** despite still being the same antisocial perfectionist everyone knew. The only thing that changed about him was the fact that he became somewhat more relaxed and tended to say 'yes' more often to his teammates instead of the typical**_,_** constant and straightforward 'no'. After all, their bonds had strengthened over the years; they were like family now.

But he was still a cold-hearted prick, according to Naruto. It was good to know that some things never changed.

Kakashi was proud of them and trusted that, in a few years, they would all be well known for their achievements.

For now, even though the time they had to hang out was more than scarce, it was nice to be together on rare occasions such as this, when they could pretend they still worked regularly as a team. Sometimes, Kakashi wished his three students were still twelve.

They weren't. Naruto was eighteen, Sakura was a nineteen year old young woman and Sasuke was about to turn nineteen as well. They had their own lives and still much to learn – things only time could teach them. But the three of them had grown up beautifully.

It was Saturday on a hot summer day in Konoha, and Team 7 was hanging out together on the training fields just because they could. Sakura had the day off and since Sasuke was on vacation and Naruto didn't work on the weekends – except when he had missions – they had arranged to meet. Kakashi was there too because...well, it wasn't like he had much to do nowadays**_,_** anyway.

The older man was sitting next to Sakura under a tree, both enjoying how much cooler the temperature was under its shadow as they watched the other two young men sparring vigorously in front of them.

"That was cheating, you bastard!" Naruto yelled angrily after he had just ducked from a new fire technique coming from Sasuke's mouth that had scorched his hair slightly. "We agreed we wouldn't be doing any _Jutsu_, damn it!"

"Must have slipped my mind," Sasuke said, shrugging lazily and grinning evilly as he took a fighting stance with both his hands in front of his face. "Come on, dead last, stop whining and fight me!"

Sakura laughed softly as Naruto held his kunai tightly in his left hand before they started fighting once more.

"Those two never change**_._**" she said in an affectionate way, straightening the fabric of the skirt of her blue dress while she watched them. Had she known they intended to spar**_,_** she wouldn't have worn such pretty clothes. She wanted to join them and yet, she couldn't do it with a skirt and high heeled sandals. But she had wanted**_,_** so much**_,_** to dress up to be with her friends once more that the thought did not even cross her mind.

Kakashi, who had his face buried in one of his perverted books, just muttered something intelligible before continuing reading with his back against the tree trunk.

It wasn't like Sasuke and Naruto were dressed to spar, but still, jeans and T-shirts were more appropriate. It was amazing how they carried their weapons everywhere and in places no one dreamed about. At least**_,_** that was something they had in common.

Half an hour later, both boys were panting heavily and sweating in front of each other, while supporting their hands on their knees.

"Shit, it's so hot!" Naruto complained, straightening up and cleaning the sweat off his brow with his wrist. "I'm totally melting!"

"It's your fault for wanting to fight Sasuke-kun whenever you have the chance." Sakura said good-humoredly, searching inside her purse for the water bottle she brought.

"Well, if Mister I'm-too-good-to-let-others-know-I'm-alive here didn't disappear from time to time**_,_** I wouldn't have to, 'cause we'd spar more often, right?" Naruto said, defending himself. He went over to Sakura and grabbed the bottle she extended to him before sitting down cross-legged between her and Kakashi, who lowered his book.

"Oh, is it over?" The grey haired _Jounin_ asked absently, as if it was a surprising thing. "Who won?"

"I did, obviously." Sasuke said in his usual proud way, approaching them elegantly and stretching languidly.

"Yeah, right!" Naruto exclaimed frowning as he unscrewed the cork from the bottle. "That last blow was mine, and you know it!"

"Yeah, but you didn't hit me, so it doesn't count."

"It _does_ count!"

"It does _not_."

"You have more scratches than me!"

"Big deal, you heal faster than me."

"I call for a rematch!"

"Just drink the water, idiot."

"Shut up, I'll drink it whenever I want!"

"Now come on boys, the last thing I want is to waste such a nice time together by watching you pick on each other for the rest of the day," Kakashi said pleasantly, setting his book aside on the dirt ground and straightening up. "How about we eat the wonderful meal Sakura prepared for us, uh?"

"I'll start taking out the food then," The minty eyed Kunoichi said with a nod, at once reaching behind her for the adorable straw basket she had brought with some homemade cooking**_,_** just in case someone got hungry.

Naruto shrugged dismissively and finally took a sip of water.

Sakura**_,_** now**_,_** was on her knees unfolding a large piece of cloth as Naruto's electric blue eyes watched Sasuke remove his red T-shirt to expose a huge amount of white skin that would be perfect**_,_** if it weren't for the occasional scar here and there.

_At least he has some scars to brag about, unlike me._ Naruto thought, eyeing his friend enviously.

On a closer look, there was something else that seemed like bruises or something on Sasuke's chest. Naruto drank more and tried to focus his eyesight to see what exactly it was**_,_** and ended up choking and spitting the water all over Sasuke's feet – which jumped backwards the next second - scaring the shit out of Sakura.

"Watch it, Dobe!" Sasuke roared angrily.

"B-but you...!" Naruto stammered, pointing his finger dramatically at him like he was something horrid, only to get smacked on the head by the pink-haired girl at his side.

"Geez, I almost dropped the food, Naruto!" she scolded.

"But Sakura-chan, look at him!" Naruto insisted urgently, pointing more firmly at Sasuke's chest. The young man was looking mad but completely oblivious to what caused Naruto's horror.

Sakura snorted but turned her eyes to her not-so-former crush. At first, she found herself blushing at the sudden sight of Sasuke's toned chest, but then she saw what Naruto had seen and the small bento she held in her hands fell onto her lap with a dry 'thump'.

Kakashi was not the type to be overly curious about his students' moments of silliness, but ended up facing the Uchiha boy anyway**_,_** to see what was causing all the fuss.

And he saw it alright, since it was pretty obvious. Kakashi's only visible eyebrow was arched slightly in amazement.

Those were...

"Friggin' hickeys!" Naruto gasped, clutching at his chest like it was one of the most horrible things he had ever seen. "How? What? _You_, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's expression changed from anger to confusion until he looked down at his own chest and realization struck him.

"Oh, this..." he said, his facial expression relaxing at once**_;_** "It's nothing**_._** I'm just kind of seeing someone."

That being said – and in an almost absent minded way – he folded his T-shirt as neatly as he could and kneeled down in front of his comrades, ignoring the deadly silence that fell over them, but ignoring**_,_** particularly well**_,_** the way Naruto's mouth moved wordlessly.

Sakura was clearly having difficulty breathing, even though she tried her best not to show it, her eyes fixed on Sasuke's skin as if it would contaminate her.

"This is...interesting," Kakashi said, as joyfully as he could despite how unpredictably awkward the topic was. "I'm happy for you, I guess!"

After all, Sasuke was the last person Kakashi would think would be able to actually become interested in someone, let alone have any kind of intimate relationship with.

"Yeah." The Uchiha said, with a slight nod. Sasuke calmly took the bento from Sakura's lap and put it over the cloth in the center of the weird circle they made.

"But...you didn't tell me anything!" Naruto protested, pouting.

"That's because it's none of your business." said the brunet, throwing him an intimidating look that he clearly hoped would put an end to the conversation. Unfortunately, Naruto ignored it, and probably on purpose.

"I'm your best friend, it _is _my business!" The blond _Shinobi_ was over the shock and now he just looked hurt. "You were the first person I talked to when I started dating Hinata..."

"Yes, and I appreciated all the unnecessary details you told me as well." Sasuke mumbled.

"...and Sakura-chan told us she was thinking about dating fuzzy eyebrows even before she started to actually date him! Just how long have you been seeing this…person?"

"As I said, it's none of your business!" Sasuke hissed coolly, throwing him a dry look. "You're making a big deal out of nothing, and if you want to know why I didn't tell you a fucking thing, this is the reason!"

"Kids, you each have your own private lives, and you have all the right to keep it to yourselves," Kakashi decided to intervene before things got too personal between those two. Besides, he was getting worried about Sakura's lack of response on the matter. "I'm sure Sasuke was planning on telling us**_,_** eventually."

"Of course**_,_** he was." Naruto's teeth were clenched as he set the bottle heavily on the ground. "I'm sure he's been hiding her just so no-one knows who she is, the bastard."

Sasuke sighed, ran a hand over his sweaty hair and rolled his eyes.

"It's not like that. It's just that we don't need for the whole village to know we're together. We just decided to start…_dating…_ a few days ago." Clearly the word 'dating' did not fit well in Sasuke's dictionary.

"I don't care, I'm pissed at you, bastard." Naruto shoved his dirty middle finger in front of Sasuke's face and crossed his arms over his orange T-shirt.

"That's fine by me." Sasuke spat, mimicking his friend and crossing his arms as well.

They immersed themselves in what seemed to be a staring contest, only the rules were not exactly the same as they were struggling to see who could look more menacing.

Kakashi would have found the whole situation hilarious on a different occasion. Right now, he was too worried to even feel honestly happy for Sasuke's new development on his social life.

For some reason, he had a bad feeling about it.

Sasuke was the pillar that held Team 7 together. Kakashi was sure that, conscious or unconsciously, his friends relied on him and loved him despite how unkind and cold he was at times. He was like a wall they could lean on when they needed, a force that made them stronger, a presence that assured them that he would be there, unchangeable, predictable; the only safe thing that they knew would be the same when 'moving on with their own lives' stabbed them in the back. They took him for granted while hopping and believing that he would always be the Sasuke they knew.

But the raven haired ANBU was taking his own path as well; he was moving on, taking an unpredictable turn that would probably take him away from them. Not away for good, but he was sure to distance himself even more. Kakashi knew that Sasuke loved his friends with all his heart – for all his sensei knew, they were now all his heart knew how to love – he was just a little too selfish for his own good and he did not know how to show it. However, Naruto and Sakura were oblivious to this.

They were shocked, yes, but they were not thinking rationally because once they did, all they would think about would be how this new person in the Uchiha's life would affect the little time (and little place) they had in his life and heart. And it would be hell on earth.

Kakashi felt his muscles tense at the thought.

The older man was brought out of his thoughts by Sakura shifting slightly, waking up from her trance to continue to automatically take out the rest of the bento boxes from inside the basket like nothing had happened.

Three sets of eyes turned to her. Kakashi was curious, Sasuke was neutral and Naruto was worried. After all, despite what she said, everybody knew she was only dating Lee because Sasuke turned her down three times.

As if the conversation had been the most pleasant thing in the world, she finished taking out the food and straightened her back, green eyes looking up to meet Sasuke's as a sweet, falsely happy smile lightened her features.

"I am really happy for you, Sasuke-kun," she said softly, bowing ever so gently. "Congratulations, I hope you can find true happiness like Naruto and I did."

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up but he politely accepted the bento and chopsticks she extended to him with the points of her fingers, clearly making an extra effort not to touch him.

"Thank you, Sakura." he said, nodding slightly. "That's very nice of you."

Naruto was speechless. Kakashi deduced he was either seething or way too concerned about Sakura's mental stability to say anything.

The girl extended the rest of the boxes to Naruto and Kakashi and kept the smallest one for herself; taking the lid off and breaking apart her chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu!" she said joyfully. Her teammates repeated the word after her before digging in. And then, she spoke again.

"So, will we get to meet her?" she asked, as sweetly as before. Naruto stopped his chopsticks halfway from entering his mouth.

"Yeah, _Sasuke-kun_, when will we get to meet your girlfriend?" he teased, almost spitefully, waving said chopsticks with sushi on them.

Kakashi understood why Sakura and Naruto would want to press the subject further and yet, he felt like maybe they were both taking it too far when clearly they were not taking it all too well.

Sasuke pressed his lips together for a brief moment before frowning deeply.

"I never said it was a girl." he muttered almost inaudibly.

Silence followed the statement.

"Come again?" The blond asked, blinking several times.

"I said, _Naruto_, that it's not a girl." Sasuke repeated.

Sakura froze once more.

Naruto's jaw dropped. His big blue eyes became huge.

Once more, Kakashi thought that it would be great if he could just laugh it off and pretend that his bad feeling was nonexistent. He wanted to, really, because the irony of it all was just too damn perfect. He did not feel like laughing, but he did anyway, hoping to break the ice.

"Well, isn't this a surprise!" He exclaimed. "And quite kinky if I may say so...I didn't know you swung that way, but good for you!"

"I don't."

"Oh, so you're Bi-curious? I respect that. Happiness is all that matters after all, love sees no genders."

"Shut up, Kakashi."

"Not a girl?" Naruto inquired dumbfounded. It seemed as though he did not understand what that precise sentence meant, or maybe he was still processing that particular bit of offending information.

"Not a girl," Sasuke repeated, staring into his friend's eyes as if daring him to say something about it. "It means it's a person with no boobs and has a dick instead of a vagina. That's commonly known as a 'male', a 'guy' or, to put it simply, a 'man'. Is that clear enough for you?"

Oh yeah, it was clear enough for Naruto alright, and for Sakura as well, for she seemed to pale and looked to beabout to throw up.

Naruto blushed, then gasped loudly, then blushed more, and then decided that pointing his finger at Sasuke again was still an intelligent thing to do.

"So that means you...you're...you're a Homo!" he squeaked incredulously. "Sasuke's a...Holy shit!"

"I am not a Homo, you idiot." The raven muttered, inhaling deeply.

"You're dating a guy! And you have...sexual intercourse with him! That makes you as Homo as it gets!"

"Sexual intercourse is a big word for that plebeian mouth of yours, and no; it does not."

"Sasuke is an open-minded person, not a _Homo._" Kakashi tried to placate things to no avail because neither was listening.

Sasuke, who had been trying to be patient, was quickly losing it, and all because Naruto was too ignorant and too hot blooded to care for what was coming out of his mouth. Kakashi sensed that the blond was panicking, and unfortunately, Sasuke was not sensible enough to see it.

"Fuck you! And it does! How can someone like you be a Homo, Sasuke? You're in ANBU! You..."

"What exactly does that have to do with anything?" And Sasuke was definitely losing it.

"It does! Someone like you can't be like that! You want to restore your clan and all that shit! You're like...a role model, you're an Uchiha! What will people say? We don't have things like that in Konoha!"

"How do you know?"

"I've never seen it!"

"That does it, I'm leaving." Sasuke said, putting away his bento aggressively and standing up with impressive speed.

"What?" As he watched Sasuke put on his t-shirt**_,_** Naruto became even more agitated.

"You heard me correctly; I'm getting the fuck away from you." Sasuke spat.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto is just upset..." Sakura's voice mumbled weakly and was left unheard.

Dropping everything he was holding carelessly and getting up as well, Naruto jumped hurriedly over the cloth to grab Sasuke's right arm and force him to face him.

"You can't leave, bastard, this is serious shit we're talking about!" he yelled.

"It's only serious as far as it concerns _me_!" The raven shouted, shoving Naruto away. Both Kakashi and Sakura shivered slightly at his tone. He was so furious even his Sharingan was activated; bloody red**_,_** fixing menacingly on sky blue that was too horrified to be coherent. "If me being whatever it is that's not as perfect as your pathetic excuse for a relationship bothers you that much, then you can kiss all the best friends' bullshit you've given me over the years goodbye!"

With that, Sasuke vanished in a 'puff' of smoke, leaving his team behind.

Naruto's mouth was hanging open; his hands were closed into fists. His body was shaking so violently Kakashi wondered how it was possible that he was still standing upright.

Kakashi wanted to say something, anything to make Naruto feel better and to prevent Sakura from shedding the tears that were welling up in her eyes, but nothing was appropriate enough because Sasuke was not at fault, and yet he did not want to reprimand Naruto when everything about him was a complete mess at that moment.

Naruto swallowed hard before turning his back on them and walking away with heavy steps.

When Sakura began to sob gently, Kakashi wondered when those three would settle whatever issues they still had going on between them. Now more than ever**_,_** they had to face these issues before something bad happened and they ended up going in their different directions**_,_** to never meet again.

Sasuke and Naruto were opposites, and yet they complimented each other in the most ungraceful, yet beautiful way. They loved each other with an intensity no one could understand. Sometimes they hated each other in ways that overpowered rationality. They were the ones who had the biggest issues and Sakura was just an accelerantthat confused and mixed everything together**_,_** to unbalance them because it made her feel safe. She did not want Naruto as a lover but she could not help but feel grateful that he probably still loved her. She wanted the three of them to be like a family, but wanted Naruto to look at her and not at Sasuke**_,_** and needed to know that Sasuke did not think too much about what Naruto meant to him because that would mean that he would become somewhat nicer**_,_** and then Naruto would completely forget about her. As long as they kept their distance from each other, they would always have time to think about her.

Both Naruto and Sakura wanted to move on while knowing that Sasuke would still be there for them, that he would still need them. He had them, the reason why he was never lonely.

But how would things turn out**_,_** now that there was someone else to play that part as well? If Sasuke had someone then he would not need them, or so they might think.

These were complicated things that the elder Jounin knew about but did not dare confess to his beloved students. These were things he had noticed for years, things that had yet to be solved.

Kakashi did not condemn any of them for their foolishness. Love was a complicated thing and Team 7 had been through many trials together as it was. He only wished he could be the one to tell them what to do, how to act, and which way to go.

He could not. He would not**_,_** because they wouldn't listen**_;_** they never did. They had to learn from their mistakes, which was part of growing up.

All he could do was wait, be there for them, and pray to some divinity that they would find a way to sort things out before it was too late.


	3. Chapter Two: Of Feelings

**A/N**: This chapter was painful to write, but it was fun like hell.

Thank you once again to my lovely beta, **chase3136**, who is doing a wonderful job revising this. You rock so much!

Thank you to those who reviewed! Much love to you guys!

I want to remind you guys that I write for both mine and the readers' pleasure so please, if you're enjoying this story – and even if you aren't – please let me know. I love reviews and constructive criticism, it keeps me going and making me want to get better!

I hope you love it as much as I do ^^.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two: Of Feelings<strong>

Naruto really wanted to be happy for his friend. He had no reason not to be, when Sasuke had been the most understanding and supportive of his relationship with Hinata.

_"She's been head over heels for you for years now,"_ The ebony haired male had said. "_You're such an idiot for chasing after the wrong person. If you want a girlfriend_**_,_**_ at least go for someone who actually cares about you that way."_

Naruto had loved Sakura. Actually, he still did, and for reasons he was not sure about. She had been his first love, the first girl he ever really cared about, the first girl that awakened his first wet dreams. Those are not things to be easily forgotten. Nonetheless, the blond boy had been painfully reminded, over and over again that Sakura was in love with Sasuke and would never love him the same way. Just like Naruto felt sorry for her vain attempts to steal Sasuke's heart, he also began to feel sorry for himself for being equally pathetic but too scared to admit it.

When a blushing Hinata offered him chocolates on Valentine's Day, Naruto had been most surprised that the girl had a crush on him. He had also felt a cozy sort of happiness because he found out that someone liked him and wanted to be with him.

Tired of waiting for the impossible, and motivated by his best friend's words, he decided that the Hyuuga heiress deserved a chance to be with him, and that the bronzed male could as well give himself the chance to finally be loved.

She had fainted when he approached her with his answer.

In spite of his low expectations of her, Hinata was a sweet, caring girl who did anything and everything to make him happy. They had had a few problems with intimacy at the beginning since she was painfully shy, and he was clueless as to what to do and how to deal with her as a female. Eventually**,** they managed to figure things out by themselves and everything was okay.

It was true that the blond liked Hinata. He could not say he loved her with the kind of passion one saw in books and movies, but he cared about her, cherished her with all his heart, and hoped that, someday, they could build a home and a family together because they were that good together. It was simple, and their relationship was simple.

What did he know about love, anyway? He had never been with anyone else before her, but as far as he was concerned, he thought that**,** being with someone that made him feel this carefree could only be a good sign.

Being with her was comfortable. It was nice, even though**,** sometimes**,** the quiet girl was a little too quiet for Naruto's taste. But he could manage; he could cope with her lack of joyfulness just like she could cope with his excess of it.

Even if Sasuke would not say it, or show it, Naruto knew he had been happy for him. There had been a small smile disguised as disgust on his lips. It had been a smile that had showed up for just a second before it vanished, but Naruto had seen it.

Sasuke had been happy back then, had he not?

Then**,** why couldn't Naruto feel happy for him**,** as well? Why had he felt such a constricting pain in his chest at the prospect of his friend being with someone?

Naruto had always watched Sasuke walk alone. When he or Kakashi were not walking beside him, when there was no Sakura beside him; it was Sasuke's back he had watched walking ahead of him, lonely and independent. It seemed out of place to think about the day when Sasuke would have someone else walking by his side, holding hands with him and…walking away from him.

_An outsider._

_But what right do I have to think of his partner that way? That would be admitting that Hinata and fuzzy eyebrows are outsiders too._

As Naruto made his way to the Hyuuga compound to pick up Hinata, hands stuffed inside his pockets, he frowned deeply; head bent as he looked at his own shadow. It was almost sundown and it had been three days since he and the raven had fought, and they had not seen, or spoken to each other ever since.

Naruto had had the time to think about the fact that Sasuke was now in a relationship, and yet, his thoughts were still not organized at all. He was still mad, still shocked, and still resentful.

Sasuke should have told him he had someone, it was the least he could have done since they were teammates and friends.

_He's with a guy…_

Naruto came to the conclusion that that particular detail did not bother him all that much. Yes, he had been astonished to say the least, because Sasuke was still Sasuke, the bastard who thought of nothing but knowledge, power and honor. He should have seen it coming though, since the Uchiha had never showed any interest in girls. Truth be told, no girl he knew seemed to match up to his high standards. Sasuke may want to have kids, but it was not like he needed to get married to do so.

_He's having sex with that guy…_

It did not matter if Sasuke was dating a guy, Naruto assured himself, shaking his head when a very disturbing image of Sasuke going at it with some faceless male popped into his mind. He had the right to be with whomever he wanted, even if it was a little unnatural.

But…

Was he in love? Did he want it to last? What kind of life would he lead?

Naruto was worried.

_Is he happy?_

What kind of guy was he that was good enough to convince someone like Sasuke that being in a relationship with another guy was a good idea?

The thought was unsettling and it made Naruto jealous that someone else could have such power over him.

_Who the hell is that guy? I want to know who he is…._

He _did_ want to know. Yet, he was afraid to know.

As he walked down the semi-lively streets of the village, he noticed he was approaching the street where Sasuke's small_,_ new apartment was. For some reason, he sped up his pace to reach the narrow street, and could not help it when his eyes shot up to search for the familiar building and the familiar windows.

As soon as he found it his heart fell to his feet. His friend was at the kitchen window, leaning in a relaxed way over the windowsill as he smoked a cigarette and clearly enjoyed the view from there, with his features softened.

Naruto stopped in his tracks to look up at him, not really knowing why he did, just knowing that he needed to, and that he needed for Sasuke to look at him as well.

Amazingly, he did; charcoal orbs drifting down to where Naruto was as if he had always known he was there. The tanned male tried to swallow but his throat was desert dry.

Sasuke's handsome face was expressionless but Naruto was not sure he had the energy to attempt a similar feat since he was feeling too anxious and eager to say something, do something, anything to make him feel better about this whole issue. He would not apologize because it had been Sasuke's fault to begin with, but he wanted to make amends.

They were looking at each other unblinkingly. Naruto opened his mouth a little. He was sure that if he shouted**,**Sasuke would be able to hear him.

_How are you doing, bastard?_

_Are you still mad?_

_Forget about what I said, I was upset._

_I'm still mad at you for not knowing that you have friends you can talk to, but never mind that, let's talk now!_

_Can you come down here?_

_Can I come over?_

_Can we talk?_

_Can we forget about what happened?_

_Can we hang out?_

_Let's have ramen! My treat!_

_Please, talk to me._

Naruto forgot about Hinata. There were so many things going around his mind; so many things he wanted to shout so that the pale man would pay attention to him**,**and want to make up with him.

He breathed in deeply and was, in fact, going to say something that had nothing to do with his previous thoughts when he saw Sasuke jump slightly and look over his shoulder. Naruto tensed immediately and his teeth clanked when he clenched his jaw.

Sasuke was speaking to someone inside the house in an apparent natural tone, but Naruto could not hear what he was saying. It did not matter anyway, because all that mattered was that there was someone there with him and Naruto could not, would not come in-between that right now.

"Shit." He muttered, defeated, resuming his walking at once.

He was wasting his time brooding over him. He had to patch things up with his best friend but he could not expect it to happen like it had the previous times. Sasuke had someone now, someone who was becoming part of his life, of his house. Things would never be the same again and Naruto just had to accept it**,**like Sasuke did.

_I'm just a secondary person in his life, now._

But Sasuke had never been secondary in _his _life, not even after he started dating Hinata, and realizing that only made him feel worse. Speaking of which, he had to go get her…

_Shit, I'm all messed up._

Naruto bit his lip, fighting back a growl of anger. Was that really anger? Or was it something else? Whatever it was**,** he did not want to cope with it right now.

_I thought we were each other's special person!_

But he could not expect the raven to feel the way he did, to see things the way he did.

_Don't leave me behind, you fucking prick._

Had he had the courage to look back**,** he would have seen Sasuke staring at him with a frown and a look on his face that showed perfectly how frustrated and hurt he was at his friend's stupidity.

000

Sakura was shaking from head to toe as she made her way to the investigation department over the Hokage's residence.

She greeted familiar Shinobi she met in the hallways with a short nod, clutching the strap of her purse to keep herself calm and composed, but it seemed that the closer she got to her destination the more nervous she became. Why she felt that way was a complete mystery.

However, as she reached the last oak door on the left of the corridor**,** she knocked with a confidence she had not known she had until that moment.

"_Come in_." A familiar voice drawled from the other side and she complied, reaching for the doorknob and turning it.

The room was spacious enough for a large group of people to work in. Like a library, it had many wooden tables with and without computers on them and shelves that reached the ceiling**,** filled with books and scrolls of all sizes. There were many metal cabinets that**,**Sakura thought**,** held important files and documents of all sorts.

Unexpectedly, the place was almost empty except for a group of five people who were gathered around one of the nearest tables.

Five heads were raised to look at her, but Sakura only recognized two of them – Neji and Sasuke – who were sitting side by side. The only woman in the group seemed to be in her mid-twenties, and the other two men looked like they were almost forty.

It was the first time Sakura was seeing Sasuke's ANBU team. It was impressive that Neji was the captain**,** despite how much older the others looked**,** and that Sasuke was so young compared to the others. Even so, the Hokage had once said it was one of her best teams and that they all worked perfectly together**,** despite their age differences, so Sakura took her word for it.

They were all wearing their green vests.

"Erm…**, **I'm sorry to interrupt," Sakura said, smiling apologetically and bowing. "I was just wondering if I could steal Sasuke-kun for a moment."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but it was Hyuuga Neji who spoke before he did.

"We're having a meeting, Sakura," the brunet said, slowly yet intensely. "You should come back later."

Sakura had never been too fond of Neji, not that she knew him very well. She admitted he was a very attractive man, and had heard all about what a genius he was, but still, while Sasuke's cold personality drew people to him, Neji had some sort of menacing presence that could sometimes be even more arrogant than Sasuke's.

"Yes. Well, I'm on my lunch break so it's not like I have all the time in the world," she said defensively. "I'm a medic; I can't just come back later. Besides, I only need to have a word with him; I promise I won't take long."

Neji looked at Sasuke, who made an imperceptible gesture with his hand that made the older one press his lips together in an annoyed way and nod.

"You have three minutes."

Sasuke got up, his chair not making a sound as he did so and went over to Sakura, whose heartbeat increased.

In a matter of seconds they were back in the hall, the Uchiha with his back against the now closed door, arms crossed over his chest while Sakura was standing in front of him.

She gulped and searched inside her pouch for the little brown flask she had brought with her and extended it to him.

"I made you some more of that sleeping syrup you wanted**.**" she said. Sasuke eyed the flask in a way that made her nervous.

"Thanks, but I don't need it anymore," he said simply without accepting the object. "I've been sleeping just fine for the last few weeks."

"Oh." It was all she could say, her hands trembling weakly.

Did he sleep well because now he had a lover?

"Sorry for not telling you earlier**.**"

Sakura shook her pink head and quickly stuffed the flask back inside her purse before her shaky hands caused her to drop it. Then**,** the medic smiled forcefully. She wanted to look into Sasuke's slate eyes but found she couldn't because it made her blush. She wanted to look away but was unable to because her own emerald eyes were automatically attracted to his features.

"It's alright, I'm happy you're finally able to sleep well!" She said**,** smiling nervously, tucking a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

"Yeah…" He said, uncrossing his arms. "Look, I have to go back inside, but thanks anyway."

"Wait!" she called, before he could turn his back on her. He did wait, staring at her with false patience. "I…I just want to say that you shouldn't brood too much over what Naruto said. He really cares about you, he's just worried."

"Hn…" Sasuke said nonchalantly. "That doesn't stop him from being an idiot, does it?"

Sakura could hear the resentfulness in Sasuke's words and it bothered her suddenly. He had never been resentful towards her. Hell, he had never felt, or showed, any particular emotion towards her besides annoyance or the occasional worry when she was in danger during the rare missions they went on together.

"He's really upset that you didn't tell him," she explained, miserably. _"_And so am I. We're your friends and you shouldn't be afraid to tell us anything." At Sasuke's lack of reaction, she pressed on. "Anyway, it's been a week since the two of you spoke, you should really talk to him."

"I'll think about it when I have the time." he said simply. "Don't worry about it, we will settle things our own way, you know that."

The slightly more careful tone he used was able to soften Sakura's pain. With his effort to be nice, he was trying to tell her that he did not want her to lose any sleep over it, which expressed some sort of concern for her.

She was able to smile a little with honesty.

"Alright, then," she nodded. "Just do what you think is best for you."

"I will." He gave her a small, meaningless smile, but it was enough for her.

"By the way, Ino thinks we should throw a birthday party for you this year, since we couldn't do it last year," she muttered, feeling a little brighter now that he had given her an opening. "It would just be a nice get together in a restaurant; she'll take care of everything. What do you think?"

"It sounds nice." he said, surprising her.

Sakura stared at him_**,**_ bewildered. Yes, Sasuke usually accepted her and Naruto's invitations to hang out more often, but generally**,** he had never wanted to go to birthday parties or any other meetings with the other teams.

"Erm…**,** alright, I'll tell her and then I'll let you know how things will go." she said, feeling her smile widen slowly since he was now smiling in an encouraging**,** but not too personal**,**way.

"Sure."

"I'll see you around then."

"Yeah."

He turned around and she started to walk away, sighing in relief and amazement at how well that conversation had gone. Then, his voice echoed behind her.

"Would you like to meet him? My…the person I'm going out with?"

She quickly turned to face him, her heart pounding as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. Her eyes became huge, looking at his stoic stance, one hand over the door handle, head tiled ever so slightly to the side with seriousness.

Did she want to meet the person who was kissing and doing all kinds of perverted things with the love of her life? The person who was stealing him away from her? Who was disrupting her team's peace?

Of course.

She needed to know who this man was and if he was that worthy of Sasuke's love…no, _attention_. She was scared shitless, but this was not the time to be selfish and run away. The medic had to be there for him. He had to know he could trust her and that she would support him no matter what**,** so that he would not drift away from her for good. She could not afford to lose him.

"Yes, I'd love to." she said gently, somewhat moved by his attitude.

"Then**,** I just might take him to that so-called party."

She offered him a big grin.

"Please, do!"

000

Sasuke liked to touch. It was not a reflexive thing, nor even something that came naturally to him – it was something that he did consciously out of a necessity of comprehending things. You could see something and understand what it was, but if you did not touch**,**you could never have a full comprehension of what it was made of, what it felt like, and how it worked.

Touching was feeling. Feeling was seeing. Seeing meant understanding. Understanding meant knowledge, and knowledge meant control. It was as simple as that.

Sasuke liked Neji's hair. It was long, completely straight, thin but strong, soft, and it billowed when he walked. It was fascinating and he liked to touch it, liked to run his fingers through it, liked to grasp it with everything he had. When they had sex it became even more beautiful, sometimes scattered all over the pillows like dark hazel threads of silk, other times falling over Sasuke's chest - or over his back – and caressing him all over. It always smelled nice too.

If there was one thing he had forgotten after so many years of being alone and keeping away from other people,it was how warm it felt to touch another person. He had also forgotten how reassuring it felt to have someone around.

The decision to leave his family house and move to a much smaller apartment in the center of Konoha had not been hard for Sasuke**,** since he had been tired of being forced to travel around the house every time he needed to go somewhere. The silence was driving him crazy with memories of what it had been like when he had not been alone there; of what it could be if his parents were still alive. He loved it, he treasured it, but the house was chaining him down; not allowing him to get away from his past, his feelings, his fears, and his nightmares.

So he moved to a smaller, cozier apartment, and it had been heaven since he had had no memories from that new place. He was more than willing to create new ones**,** though.

Sasuke had some kind of childish fascination with watching the pale eyed male doing things in his new home. The feeling of having someone else walking about was exhilarating, familiar. It was comfortable; it felt like something inside him was being slowly filled.

It was rather nice. More than he could have hoped for.

Sasuke found out that he did not mind sharing his bed either since Neji seemed to be as much of a quiet sleeper as he was.

It was a little before dinner time and the young Uchiha was standing in front of the worn out**, **and gaping gates of the Uchiha Compound, staring at what had once been the shelter of a huge, powerful and united clan.

"You know," Sasuke turned his surprised head to meet his companion's voice but Neji was still watching the scenery before him. "When I was a child, before my father passed away, I was a very different person. I was cheerful and enthusiastic; I smiled often as well. When I look back, I wonder how and why I became the way I am today."

"I know what you mean," The raven replied, feeling his features soften. He had been there, he could relate to it perfectly. "I used to be this really adorable kid who blushed easily and was able to actually laugh when I was happy. I tried so hard to impress everyone, I wanted to be seen. Now**,** I'm just a…not a ghost, more like a very distant memory of that silly kid."

Neji locked eyes with Sasuke.

"I think I sometimes miss him," he muttered, solemnly. "The kid I used to be. How it felt to be happy and hopeful about the future."

"I miss him too," Sasuke admitted, sighing loudly. "I've been thinking about it, and I might tell the Hokage to tear this place down. Not my house, obviously, but the rest of the compound. 'The Idiot' sometimes says how Konoha should have an orphanage, maybe it's a good time to provide the space for it."

"The Idiot" was what Sasuke usually said when referring to Naruto to someone other than _Naruto_. Neji was more than accustomed to it by now.

"Are you sure?" The Hyuuga asked, getting closer to the shorter young man as if to provide reassurance.

"No, but I know I can't just expect for the houses to remain intact by the time this village has enough Uchihas to live in them." Sasuke responded sarcastically, unconsciously leaning his shoulder on Neji's.

"You're right."

They watched the compound in silence for a few more comfortable minutes before turning around and heading home. Neji would not sleep over that night since his uncle Hiashi had been nagging him about how he had been spending too many nights away instead of fulfilling his duties.

"So, it's been almost two weeks," Neji said casually, as they walked side by side down the nearly deserted streets of the village. "How do you think we're doing?"

Sasuke could not help a small, crooked smile.

"I'm not sure, it's too early to say," he said, shrugging. "But it's alright, I guess. I honestly didn't think we'd be able to make it through the first day, seeing as how unpredictably similar we are to each other."

Neji allowed himself to smile too, but only for a second or so before clearing his throat and re-assuming his usual stiffness.

"I think we'll be fine."

Sasuke was caught by surprise at Neji's almost hopeful tone, but thought it would be safer not to agree with him just yet. Just because things were working out**,** it did not mean he should start thinking it would be like this forever – actually**,** "forever" scared the living shit out of him. He did not want to get attached too soon or he might end up hurt. Either way, they were a "couple" now and Sasuke wanted to push Neji's buttons as well – one week had been enough to figure out how well they fitted together, but it was time to see how far Neji would go for that. The Hyuuga had started it; would he still want it if things got a little more complicated?

As they reached the entrance to the building where Sasuke's apartment was, Neji was caught off guard as the Uchiha suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his white, Hyuuga garment in a swift movement to bring him close and kiss him. It was not just a peck on the lips; Sasuke made sure he forced Neji's mouth open to stick his tongue inside and ravish the brunet as much as he could.

He had no idea if Neji had seen the two passersby nearby, but he wished he had. He wanted to see what he would do. Even though they usually went out together, they had never displayed their affection in public.

Neji was still for a moment, almost as if he was too flabbergasted to do anything. Then, a few seconds later, hands were moving slowly to place themselves over Sasuke's arms as his mouth responded with eager gentleness.

Kissing in the middle of Konoha was a big thing, even if it was late and not many people would see it. However, Sasuke was sure that those two people**,** who were surely watching them**,**would be more than enough to spread the news so fast the whole village would be on fire with rumors by the morning, and he did not know how to feel about it. He did not know what to feel at all, especially because he had expected for Neji to shove him away instead of kissing him back.

As it seemed, Neji had wanted it - had been waiting for it. Was he that serious?

"You want to make it public?" Neji asked when they broke the kiss, breathing hard while joining their foreheads together, causing their _hitai-ate_ to clash with a metallic sound.

Sasuke bit his lip and kept his eyes firmly closed – his heart was beating too fast; he knew his captain well enough and yet, nothing could have prepared him for such an easy acceptance from him.

"Maybe." He sighed, body coming alive almost immediately with something very similar to exhilaration as Neji's fingers tightened on his arms. Sasuke could feel Neji's chakra boiling enthusiastically through his veins as if it were his own.

"Then that's fine with me." Neji muttered back.

Neji's hands came up to cup Sasuke's face at the same time as his lips searched for his mouth once again in a rather possessive way, his control slipping away quickly, especially after feeling the shorter one's arms wrap around his waist to press them together.

They kissed intensely for what felt like hours until they both realized they were probably getting a little too excited.

Sasuke was the one who ended up pushing Neji away in a rather rough move**,** to make sure they were no longer touching and that there was a reasonable distance between them.

The fair skin males looked at each other while gasping for air, Neji quickly trying to compose himself with as much dignity as he could**,** as Sasuke cursed himself internally for blushing.

Why the fuck was he blushing?

"You should go." he said authoritatively, wiping remnants of saliva from the corners of his mouth with the thumb of his right hand.

Neji inhaled sharply, eyes gleaming dangerously with a very vivid form of lust.

"Or maybe**,** I should tell my uncle to fuck off." was the immediate and arrogant answer he gave, forcing Sasuke to remember exactly what it was about the damn Hyuuga that turned him on so much.

Sasuke swallowed hard and licked his lips with a predatory gleam, enjoying the way Neji's eyes followed the path his tongue traced.

"That's up to you," The younger whispered. "But if you do stay, keep in mind I'm in a very good mood today."

"It that a threat?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"Fuck you."

"No, Neji," Sasuke whispered**,** smirking, holding out his hand to his lover, palm turned upwards. "Fuck _you_."

And there was no way that Neji would ever refuse to place his own hand over Sasuke's.


	4. Chapter Three: Making Out, Making Up

**A/N:** This chapter was particularly hard to write since I had all these ideas that I wanted to put together, but then when I did they just got all messed up. I had so many plans and still these characters are so damn stubborn they just had to do things their own way.

Thank you to my lovely beta **chase3136**! Also, thank you to those who reviewed! You are all made of awesomeness!

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><p><strong>Chapter three: Making Out, Making Up<strong>

The next few days**,** after Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Neji made out in the middle of the street; were surprising, to say the least. While Sasuke had been only slightly concerned about what the Hyuuga family would say once they knew about their relationship, Neji was simply wondering how both their friends and the other teams would react when they heard the news from other people rather than from their mouths.

Accidentally, things did not go the way they thought it would, either because there were many misunderstandings as people told each other about it, or because the two passersby did not fully understand what they were seeing.

Sasuke**, **actually**,** found himself laughing about the whole situation when people he barely knew wanted to know who the "beautiful girl" he was dating**,** was. The brunet was even more amused that people kept asking him about the traits he found attractive in a woman. Apparently, according to the rumors, he liked women with long hair who were taller than him. Afterward**,** came questions of who "she" was, where "she" came from and what kind of special abilities did "she" have that made "her" so special in Sasuke's eyes.

Some said "she" was blond and a princess from another country. Some said "she" was one of the daimyo priestess. Others said "she" was just a common girl who had done nothing to gain his affections, thus captivating him.

For the first time, instead of feeling tormented, the Uchiha was having too much fun picking on Neji to care.

The Hyuuga, however**,** was much luckier since he had not been fully seen that night. Apart from Sasuke's nagging, he had no-one to ask him personal questions about his private life.

Still, it was rather funny because**,** even though the two boys did nothing particular to show they were dating in public, they did nothing to hide it either. If people took the time to look at them more attentively, they would notice that the way they interacted was not exactly normal for two males. Nevertheless, people were either too ignorant or too oblivious.

As his birthday approached, however, Sasuke became restless. It was not that he worried about what people would think once it became official; it was more about the weight of responsibility that came with it. Telling everyone would make it real. Soon, rumors would be more accurate. Soon, people would look at them and wonder about homosexuality; what they did behind closed doors, what got them together, how they managed to get along. Soon, Neji would have to face his family and be confronted with the values and traditions that came with his name. Soon, they would have to face the brutal reality of how society looked at what they were doing, forcing them to either finally grow apart, or become stronger together.

Sasuke feared both possibilities. Not "fear" per se, more like he was anxious; expectant. He had the feeling something like this could change his entire world**,** if he allowed it. He did not fear the words or the looks people might throw at them, or Hiashi's rage. He feared himself at how far he would be willing to go if Neji had the same thoughts. At the same time, he wondered how his own life would be if they broke up for some stupid Hyuuga ideals. Sasuke was passionate about Neji, but he wasn't in love even though he sometimes thought about what it would be like to care for him that way. He respected him, lusted after him, admired him even, and enjoyed his company. He liked the beautiful Hyuuga to the point where he needed to know how far they would go for each other**,** and if it was worth it. If after everything_**,**_ Neji threw them away, the Uchiha would never forgive him. Thinking about something like that enraged him.

It also enraged him to think about vivid blue eyes that resembled the sky on a bright summer day**,** as they looked at him in horror. Ever since that day**,** when he had confessed to be dating a guy, the expression lying in those eyes had tormented him daily.

_Stupid._

_Selfish._

_Big mouthed._

_Idiot._

_Naruto…_

Of all the people Sasuke knew would be there for him no matter what, he had thought that Naruto would be the first one to jump forward and be supportive of his decision. Even if he refused to admit it, the younger boy was, in fact, the only person he cherished enough to consider family. The loud blond had saved him many times from the darkness he lived in as he forced him to remember that he was loved**, **and had a whole life of amazing things ahead of him. Naruto had understood him, defended him, supported him, and had smiled even when Sasuke had mistreated him. The blond had been the bridge that helped him cross the never ending rivers of hatred and uncertainty resting in his heart. He had demanded that onyx gaze fixed solely on him**,** and took care of him without even noticing it. Or maybe**,** he did but pretended it had all been natural between them.

The bond they shared was strong but oscillated dangerously once in a while.

In a way, it hurt.

Sasuke wanted Naruto to be happy for him, or at least try, just like Sakura did. The raven had never thought of her as very mature, and yet, she had been mature enough to let him know that her love for him implied that she would be happy enough if he was happy, even if with someone other than her. For that, the brunet was thankful.

Sasuke was aware that Naruto was impulsive and said things without thinking, but that did not mean he could simply let go of the offensive things the Uzumaki said. They were both to blame, now they just had to find a way – the gods only knew how – to apologize and be humble about it.

Sasuke only hoped that the younger man had the decency of realizing that as well**,** so they could get along again.

000

The Hokage's office was brightly illuminated by the morning sunlight coming in through the large windows behind her wide desk.

Joining the tips of her fingers together, Tsunade's golden gaze scanned the young man in front of her, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and abnormal paleness of his skin. He did not seem like he was in a bad mood despite how abnormally quiet he had been ever since he got there.

"You seem tired." She pointed out gently, causing the blond in front of her to shift ever so slightly and smile, letting her know that something was upsetting him, which worried her.

"I'm fine, Baa-chan," he assured her with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "It's just that it's been so hot lately, it's kind of hard to sleep properly. Other than that I'm as healthy as I could be."

"Alright," The busty woman nodded, coming to the immediate conclusion that if Naruto wasn't opening his mouth to tell whatever was going on inside his heart, it meant he did not want to talk about it and it was best to let it go for now. "But if you need some time off, don't hesitate in letting me know."

"Yeah, yeah, I just told you I'm more than fine," Naruto grumbled. "Why did you send for me? I'm a busy man, you know!"

"Watch your tone, brat," she threatened, happier now that one of her favorite people was being more like himself with his impatience. "And I am aware of that. I happen to have a job for you, a week from today."

Blond eyebrows rose in interest and excitement at her words.

"Really? Like…a mission?" He asked, hopefully, taking a step closer to Tsunade's desk.

"Yes, something like that," The elder blond confirmed. "Apparently, the Kages of Sunagakure and Kirigakure both have some business to discuss with me. On another occasion**,** I wouldn't be willing to meet them both at the same time, but I have been terribly busy lately with internal problems that keep me from leaving Konoha, so I think it's for the best."

Naruto frowned deeply while looking thoughtful.

"Don't we still have a grudge with Kirigakure after that incident with the Hyuuga clan?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, that is why both the Mizukage and myself think it's a good time to settle for peace," The Hokage explained. "The Shinobi world has been relatively quiet for the past few years, there is no need to hold grudges if we want this stability to last for the sake of all Shinobi villages."

"What about Suna?" Naruto asked, not too convinced of Tsunade's words despite not knowing or understanding a single thing about politics. "What business do we have with them?"

Tsunade allowed her cherry lips to form a mysterious smile.

"The election of the new Kazekage, of course," she said, sweetly, surprising the young male. "There are**,** always**,** all sorts of bureaucracies to be dealt with and new rules to be established since every Kage has their own way of dealing with their village's policies. Hopefully**, **we'll be able to form a stronger alliance this time, and one that's beneficial for both parts."

"New… Kazekage?" Naruto mumbled, blue eyes shooting open with a new gleam of excitement. Tsunade rolled her eyes, sure that the boy had not heard a single word.

"Yes**;** and a pretty young one at that. I believe you are acquainted with him since he requested for your exclusive escort."

Tsunade could tell her young protégé was growing more curious and enthusiastic by the second.

"Who is he?" Naruto demanded, impatiently taping his foot on the floor.

"You'll see when you get there," The older one said, causing Naruto to grunt in frustration, which did not upset her as she proceeded. "I'll be sending both you and Hyuuga Neji to pick up both Kages at the entrance to the fire country in a week, as I just told you."

Naruto's jaw almost fell to the floor.

"Neji? Are you turning gaga or something?" He gasped as if she was completely crazy. "You can't send him to meet the ones who attacked his clan! I mean, sending any Hyuuga is a bad, bad idea!"

"I know Neji enough to know that he has the maturity to not let his personal feelings interfere with Konoha's affairs," Tsunade then sighed. "It's exactly because he's a Hyuuga that I think he should go. It's a proof of good faith, forgiveness and trust on our part. As it is, I expect you to be as professional as I'm sure he will be."

"But…"

At that precise moment, there was firm knock on the door, cutting through Naruto's sentence. At Tsunade's permission, the door creaked open and a bluish set of hair made his appearance. Naruto had looked over his shoulder out of curiosity but as soon as he saw who it was, he looked immediately away with a stubborn frown, pretending he did not see the man that was walking towards her desk.

Those two were fighting again, the Hokage concluded, rolling her eyes.

"Sasuke, I'm so glad you could come," she said, opting for a warm tone, immediately accepting the scroll that the young man handed to her. "I'm sorry for making you re-write this on your vacation, but you know how Kitano is – great with weapons, terrible with paperwork."

"No problem, it's not like I had anything to do anyway." The Uchiha mumbled, shrugging a little and making such a great act of not acknowledging his blond friend.

"I expect your last paycheck suited your needs," she said, smiling softly. "You definitely earned it for your hard work. Neji told me you did a great job on your last mission."

"I always try my best." was the stoic brunet's reply.

Tsunade noticed how Naruto avoided eye contact with Sasuke at all costs, even though he sometimes glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"I won't be bothering you with work for the next few days," she proceeded in a more formal tone, putting away the scroll in one of her drawers. "However, I have been considering that proposal you wrote to me about. I will see what can be done, and if you are still interested, please do come talk to me in a few days."

"Thank you. I will."

"That would be all. Thank you for your hard work."

"Good afternoon, Hokage-sama."

"To you too," Tsunade said, with a mysterious grin. "Happy birthday, and have a nice date with your boyfriend."

Tsunade secretly enjoyed the knowing, thankful, handsome smile Sasuke gave her before turning his back on them and exiting the room without another word, leaving a gaping, horrified Naruto behind throwing daggers in her direction.

Her assumption had been right – Naruto already knew Sasuke had a lover. Now the bomb would drop and it could all be terribly funny – like it was – if she had the time and the patience to deal with Naruto's outbursts.

"You knew?" He yelled, coming closer before she should even blink, and slamming his hands on her desk. "You…you betrayed me! You knew it all along and you didn't even tell me? How could you? When Sakura-chan finds out she'll freak out! You're supposed to be our accomplice!"

"_Accomplice_?" Tsunade asked, raising her eyebrows in false outrage. "I am the Hokage; I'm no one's accomplice. And of course I knew, kid, I know everything. All Shinobi that work under me have my respect and they know they can confide in me; Sasuke is no exception. If he didn't tell you about his affair, it won't be me who will."

"I…" Naruto stuttered, shaking his head from side to side in exasperation. "But…do you know who he is? His boyfriend?"

"Of course I know."

"And you won't tell me?"

"You'll find out sooner or later, they're not _that_ discrete about it. I'm actually surprised they weren't found out yet."

Naruto blinked a few times as if he did not understand the statement before brushing it aside.

"How long have they been together?" He persisted.

Tsunade would have a big day ahead of her, filled with paper work, meetings and some medical reports to write**,** so she just had to make full use of some of Jiraya's influence to press the boy's buttons, even if just a little.

"That depends; are you referring to the 'just sex' part or the actual 'settle down'?"

Just as she expected, Naruto screeched in rage and gave up, cursing at her under his breath as he defiantly jumped to go out through the window**,** despite how many times she told him not to do it. He was probably doing it purpose to get her back, which he couldn't since the beautiful woman was in a much too good a mood to be disturbed by such trivialities.

The Hokage knew that**,** while Sasuke may be too oblivious for his own good, it was to be expected since he was so emotionally unbalanced. However, it was inexcusable that Naruto, who was much more sensible to feelings, became as thick as a rock when it came to his own emotions, especially when it concerned his teammate and rival. They were like two idiots crashing against each other and falling back over and over again, and it was becoming tiresome to watch.

They would have to be the ones to find it within themselves to fix things for better or worse. Someday, it would have to happen.

000

"I'm sorry, I just can't believe it," Ino said from across the elegant rectangular table, shaking her head negatively with a disbelieving look. "Sasuke-kun would never go out with a guy! He's not…**,** I mean, he has all these ideals about marriage and family! I just don't see it happening."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Naruto asked in a bad mood, throwing his arm roughly around a blushing Hinata's shoulders. "He told me himself! Sakura-chan was there, she heard him, and so did Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura, who was sitting between Ino and Lee, winced at Naruto's words, holding her boyfriend's hand more firmly so as to fight the nervousness lying within her. Lee was listening attentively to the conversation with growing interest but did not notice her momentary need for attention.

"He must have been messing with your heads," Kiba said, frowning deeply and stealing some appetizers from Chouji's plate. "People say he was seen with a woman, maybe she's much older than him and he was embarrassed to let you know."

"That doesn't make any sense, silly," Tenten intervened, rolling her eyes. "What man would prefer telling people he was gay instead of confessing he's with a much older woman?"

"It doesn't matter," Naruto pouted, shrugging. "It's his own birthday, and the bastard's late."

"Are you sure he said he would come?" Ino insisted, nudging Sakura's side to perk her up, causing the pink haired girl to whine a little.

"I already told you a million times he said he would come!" She exclaimed, more than exasperated. "Besides, it's still early; Neji-san, Shikamaru and Shino aren't here yet."

"Well, Neji didn't say if he was coming for sure, you know how he hates to have fun." TenTen joked easily.

"Yeah, that one is another stuck up, moody bastard," Kiba agreed, laughing. "We do have way too many unpleasant people in our group."

"We do not!" Ino defended heatedly.

"We _so_ do!" Kiba emphasized. "There's Shino, Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru; they're all fucking genius and still they can bore the hell out of our meetings."

"Shikamaru is not boring!" This time, it was Chouji who found the need to speak.

"Shikamaru is cool," Naruto nodded, now smiling. "He's just too lazy to know how to enjoy himself."

"And is Sasuke-san bringing the lover?" Lee asked enthusiastically, oblivious to Sakura and Naruto's sudden shifting movements.

"He said he might, but I'm not sure he will." Sakura said, in a low, heavy tone.

The restaurant Ino had chosen was one of the best in Konoha, providing a variety of well-known dishes, including some of the most famous all around the fire country. It was not traditional**, **as the decoration was a mixture between modern Japanese and western styled furniture in gold, black, and blood red; it was not cheap and had an air of austerity and finesse that constrained Naruto, but it was Sasuke's favorite so they all had to suck it up and deal with it.

Naruto looked to the side to face Hinata's pretty profile. The little reserved Hyuuga was listening to the anxious banter going on between all of her friends, her fingers stroking softly the hand that dangled from her shoulder. Naruto had not noticed it until he looked, but a small tickling feeling burned deep inside his heart at the sight. Hinata's fingers were soft and her caresses where always gentle and light as if she was afraid she might hurt him. The blond found it endearing.

"Is everything alright, Hina-chan?" He asked in a whisper, noticing how her pale eyes once in a while searched the entrance to the restaurant.

She turned slightly to look at him, a worried smile appearing on her thin lips.

"It's nothing," she said, apologetically. Ever since she and Naruto got together**,** she became more at ease around him and even her stuttering had stopped. "I'm just a little concerned about Neji-nii-san. He had a fight with my father this morning and I'm not sure he'll be able to go out tonight. My father's word is not to be taken lightly and Nii-san has such a bad temper..."

"What did they fight about?" Naruto asked, more to keep himself and his girlfriend entertained than out of curiosity.

"I don't know… something about Neji-nii-san not fulfilling his duties," She sighed, biting her lip adorably. "I heard his servants commenting on how he has been spending the nights away from home. But please, don't mention this to anyone; I'm not supposed to let anyone know what goes on inside the Hyuuga family."

"Don't worry," Naruto assured her, giving her a light kiss on the temple. "I promise I…"

"OH, MY FUCKING GOD!"

All the table's occupants jumped at the same time as if electrified at Ino's dramatic yell. Other customers were startled as well**, **and started throwing disapproving looks at her that she promptly ignored by standing up on weak knees.

Naruto watched her with amusement as she paled considerably before turning his head towards where the blond girl was staring. As Naruto felt all the color drain from his face**,** he wondered if Ino was feeling as sick as he was or even more.

Sasuke had just arrived and was heading their way. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black sweater that complimented his toned body in such an indecent way that many heads turned his way**,** as he walked through the other tables without noticing the attention. It wasn't as if he had dressed up to be there, but the casual clothes contrasted with his fair skin and made him look incredibly hot anyways. If this had not been enough to make everybody quiet down and stare at him wide eyed and gaping, the man following him definitely was.

"Fucking…shit…how…why…" Ino stammered, horrified, slumping back down on her chair as the two approached them.

"Shikamaru!" Chouji yelped pointing his greasy finger at his pony tailed friend. "You! You're Sasuke's lover?"

"What?" Both newcomers said, at the same time. They stopped dead in their tracks to look at all their friends who appeared to be on the verge of a heart attack.

"What is this nonsense about?" Shikamaru asked, frowning disapprovingly at Ino, who was grabbing her chest as if she could not breathe.

"You're…you're Sasuke-kun's…for all the gods in the…" She gasped, shaking her head**,** disbelievingly.

Sasuke's dark eyes scanned the table, a new found nerve making his left eyebrow twitch as comprehension dawned on him.

"Fucking idiots, that's just sick." He said, coolly, taking a seat next to Kiba since there would be an empty chair on his other side. Growling, he eyed Naruto menacingly. "You just had to open your big mouth beforehand, didn't you, Naruto?"

"Hey, if you hadn't been eating your boyfriend's face out in the middle of the street**,** they wouldn't even dream…"

"Uh? What boyfriend?" A confused Shikamaru asked, taking a seat beside Lee.

"These morons think you're my lover." Sasuke said, not bothering to hide his disgust.

"What? No way, guys, that's just sick!"

"My point, exactly." Sasuke agreed.

"We just met on our way here, geez." Shikamaru explained, huffing in dismay.

Collective sighs of relief were heard from every single occupant of the largest table in the restaurant, and soon enough, the atmosphere lightened and everyone was directing their attention towards the birthday boy with their congratulations, presents, and questions. Naruto let out an unexpected cackle that only Sakura seemed to notice since she felt as relieved as he was. Emerald eyes met sapphire. Thinking that Shikamaru was Sasuke's boyfriend had not been a nice experience for either of them.

The blond Jounin's heart was still stuck in his throat as he immediately changed his demeanor and tried his best to act as carefree and happy as ever. Sasuke was turning nineteen. He was going to introduce them to his lover. The moment he had the chance, Naruto would get the Uchiha alone and finally talk to him to make things right. There was still time, the night was still young and Sasuke still had the time to get in a good mood.

Naruto noticed that he was feeling incredibly faithful and positive about the whole issue**,** despite how harshly Sasuke had treated him as soon as he got there.

_I still don't know who his goddamn boyfriend is…_

_Breathe…slowly…smile…it's okay._

_You can definitely do this. Don't freak out. You are happy for him. Whoever his lover is, he'll be welcomed to our group, we'll be friends and we'll all be one big, happy family._

Breathing turned out to be a much more difficult task than Naruto had expected for various reasons. Firstly, he was more than unnerved about his friend's casual attitude, like he had not a care in the world, nor minded that everyone was dying to know exactly who the guy he was dating was – he kept to himself and did not answer to Ino's pleading questions. Secondly…the blond was finding it hard to look away from his best friend because…well, somehow Naruto understood exactly why most people thought Sasuke was gorgeous, and that definitely was not a good thing in Naruto's book.

Naruto swallowed hard, removing his arm from Hinata's shoulders. He had always known Sasuke was attractive – he had even envied him for it – yet, somehow, it was affecting him for the first time. Not knowing why**,** sent shivers down his spine. Not being able to stop looking made him panic ever so slightly as dozens of thoughts invaded his mind.

_I wonder if those bluish locks he has are real. I can see them from here._

_No way, how can he manage to keep his nails so clean and pretty? Now that I think about it, I should've noticed he was gay; he always takes such good care of himself._

_Stop thinking about him as gay, he is not gay! He'll strangle you if you call him that again._

_Well, he is…ok, he's Bisexual…or something…right? Does he like women then?_

_He looks so straight_**_,_**_ though. How can someone so manly be with another guy? I can see why men would be attracted to him, though._

_What the fuck are you thinking?_

_How does he…do it with another guy?_

_He has such a pretty neck. I supposeit could be called sexy._

_Stupid Sasuke! He dressed up on purpose! Such a bastard…_

Sakura seemed to be equally enticed since she could barely open her mouth to speak to Sasuke at all**,** even though she smiled shyly once in a while whenever he spoke.

_How can she do it?_ Naruto wondered, examining his pink haired friend and forgetting all about trying to act cheerful. _She's always been in love with him. How can she just pretend it's alright?_

"What, he isn't coming?" Kiba was saying, stretching his neck impatiently to look at the door. "Come on, man, tell us who he is!"

"He will come," Sasuke sighed tiredly as if he was seriously regretting his decision. "Would you just shut up about it already?"

"I only hope he's hot**,** though," Ino said, crossing her arms over her chest resentfully. "He has to be for Sasuke-kun to choose him over a girl."

For some reason, Sasuke smiled naughtily at that and Naruto raised an eyebrow.

_That cocky asshole._

"Oh, Neji's coming," Shikamaru noted in his usual bored tone, causing everyone to turn their heads to look at the Hyuuga's tall figure.

Kiba whistled as soon as he took in Neji's appearance.

"Someone really took his time to dress up today." he said, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially to his mates.

Indeed, as Naruto noticed, the stern Hyuuga seemed to have taken an extra thought on what to wear that evening since most of the times when they all met; he simply showed up – _when_ he showed up – with his clan's usual outfit.

Surprisingly, that night he had decided to put on a pair of very classic black trousers that complimented his figure, and a white silk shirt. His hair was tied in the usual loose ponytail. He looked as casual as anybody, but in a very fine way. The fact that he rarely ever dressed casual might have added to the amazement.

"Neji! You actually came!" Tenten exclaimed, waving at him cheerfully as he approached the table and unceremoniously nodded to everyone who was greeting him.

"Hello." He said, in a way that was polite but utterly devoid of enthusiasm as he took the seat next to Sasuke, who was eyeing him from head to toe with something akin to approval.

The cheerful chatter took its place among the young Shinobi, but this particular look was unknown to the Uchiha's features, and only the blond young man sitting in front of him from across the table seemed to notice it and question himself about it. Actually, Naruto was absolutely sure no one was taking any notice of how, completely out of the blue, Neji decided to put his arm over the back of Sasuke's chair and lean closer. Only when the raven tilted his head ever so slightly to accept the sudden invasion of privacy did other heads begin to turn quickly to look at the two.

"Oh my…" Hinata muttered, bringing her hands to her redden cheeks.

'Oh My' was way too simple of a sentence to describe the many things Naruto thought at the moment.

The silence that fell over the table was filled with shock, tension and confusion as every single pair of eyes focused on the two attractive men who were now kissing –_on the fucking mouth!, _as Naruto's brain screamed while trying to process the information – in a rather intense way that showed exactly the level of intimacy they shared.

_It's Neji. Neji, who is dating Sasuke. Neji, who is sharing his bed. Neji, who by the looks of it, knows his body from inside out…_

Some people in the surrounding tables stopped talking or eating – or doing whatever it was that they were doing – to watch in amazement. After all, it's not every day they get see a Hyuuga and an Uchiha making out in public.

Naruto did not bother to see the reactions on his friends' faces. He did not care if someone was about to have a stroke or throw up in disgust, or if someone was heartbroken. He did not care about Sakura's feelings at that particular moment.

All he could think about was that, for the first time, he was watching his best friend kiss someone, and it was both arousing and unnerving.

They weren't hugging or even touching. They were just kissing, slowly and expertly with tongues and everything, and clearly enjoying it.

What fazed Naruto the most though, was the palpable chemistry between them. Despite knowing Sasuke would never be with someone unless he was somehow attracted to that person, he had never expected said person to be Neji. Considering how the both of them were such cold, lonesome**,** selfish bastards, nothing good could come out of even thinking about them together. Naruto wouldn't even dream of it in his most absurd nightmares.

And yet, there they were, and the energy they emanated was contagious. It was more than obvious they got along _just fine_ and that there was something between them that just connected.

They were clearly infatuated with each other. They were attracted to each other. They fitted. As much as it hurt to admit, Neji was probably one of the few people that were, in fact, worthy enough to walk beside Sasuke; maybe the only person who could handle him just had to be someone equally intelligent, strong and emotionally bruised. Maybe**,** only they could end up fixing each other.

And for some reason, this realization made Naruto feel empty like never before as his stomach ached painfully with an unpleasant feeling he could not describe.

_This is it. He really is drifting away from me._

The fact that the Uchiha was absolutely beautiful when he kissed did nothing to improve Naruto's sadness. Did he look like _that_ because he was kissing _Neji_?

What kind of twisted joke was fate planning on**,** joining him and his best friend with Hyuugas?

"For all the gods that protect and cherish this earth!" came the overly excited voice of Lee, startling everyone – including Neji and Sasuke, who broke up the contact almost immediately – when he stood with his fists in front of his face and tears in his eyes. "Gai-sensei would be so touched if he witnessed these two unbalanced souls working their way towards true youthful happiness! I am so overjoyed for you, Neji!"

The brown haired man straightened up and stared at his teammate with a mix of incredulity and disapproval but did nothing except clear his throat while licking his lips. Naruto's mouth ran dry at that.

"Just shut up and sit down Lee!" muttered Tenten**,** embarrassed, pushing him downwards to make him sit down again.

"Well, I guess this has answered any questions we had," said Kiba, instantly recovered, wearing a twisted, sarcastic smile on his lips, sadistically pleased by the common reaction the group had**,** despite the fact that he**,** himself had initially felt a little sick to the stomach. "Good for you guys. I noticed how horny you two are, but next time**,** spare our sensitive eyes to your public displays of affection, please. A simple 'Oh, by the way, we're dating' would've done the trick."

"You're in such a good mood**;** I would almost say you enjoyed it, Inuzuka." Sasuke mocked, throwing him a dirty but incredibly sexy grin.

"Fuck you, Uchiha!"

"I'm sure you'd love that, but I wouldn't give my ass to you for all the money in the world."

"Okaaay, too much information," Shikamaru groaned, sighing. "You guys are so bothersome sometimes."

"We should start ordering before the owners kick us out**.**" Neji said, grabbing the red menu from the center of the table as if nothing had happened.

"Did I miss something?" Asked Shino, who had just arrived and noticed the diverging expressions on his friends' faces.

"Nope, just, Sasuke and Neji slurping each other's tongues out, no big deal." Kiba said sarcastically, patting the last unoccupied seat on his right.

"It was unexpectedly hot too!" Everyone stared at the only long haired**,** blond girl at the same time with equal dismayed looking faces. "What? It really was; I take back everything I said, Sasuke-kun should totally date as many guys as he wants."

"Excuse me?" hissed Neji, turning cool, white eyes in Ino's direction and making her blush.

"I didn't mean it like that!" She apologized, laughing nervously and elbowing Sakura. "You guys are totally hot enough to be with each other, right, Sakura?"

"Uh? Y-yeah, sure…" Sakura muttered, forcing a smile and managing to capture Naruto's attention away from Sasuke for the first time. Only then**,** did the whiskered boy notice how wrecked she was and how no one else did.

_If I feel like shit_**_,_**_ I can't even imagine how she must feel. But we have to manage…for the sake of team seven, we have to keep the balance._

_Besides, aren't we both being selfish? Sasuke deserves happiness too. He deserves to find his own home._

_I just thought that his home was…would always be…_

Naruto sighed and leaned back, slumping against his seat. As if feeling the weight of his thoughts, Sasuke's eyes turned to meet his. He was clearly standing his ground as if defying Naruto to object to his choice of partner. However, there was also a hint of uncertainty surrounding him.

_I don't care what you think, _his eyes said.

_But…are you disappointed?_

_Are you mad?_

_Even if you are, you should know me enough to know I'm not giving in._

_You either accept or you don't. Make your choice._

_But don't make this hard on both of us._

Naruto sighed once more, shrugged and nodded his consent slowly, forcing the left corner of his mouth to lift up.

_He's good for you._

_I'm here, no matter what._

_Sorry for being an ass, but now I understand._

They stared at each other in silence until Sasuke smiled genuinely for the briefest of moments**,** before turning to Neji to read the menu he was holding.

It was one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever given Naruto, and for that smile, the Uzumaki felt like he could endure everything.

The younger boy felt too tired to object to anything, even himself. What did he have to object to? His own jealousy? His own envy? His fear? None of this concerned Sasuke; he had done nothing wrong except concealing important details of his private life. It was his own heart who was betraying him. He had no right to be mad.

_I am fighting my own internal battle and it sucks._

_He is happy isn't it? He has that…thing…with Neji. That thing neither Sakura-chan nor I have with fuzzy eyebrows and Hinata. Maybe that's why it's so hard to watch him go, because even now_**_, _**_he has something that we're still lacking._

_Shit._

"Please, let's just order, I'm starving!" Chouji complained.

"No way, I wanna know how Sasuke-kun and Neji-san got together!" Ino protested. "Dear Amaterasu, you never noticed anything, Tenten?"

Naruto breathed in deeply and mustered up all his determination in order to form a big, wide grin in his mouth.

"I'm with Chouji; I'll kill myself if we keep insisting on this soap opera shit!" he exclaimed, regaining his usual exuberant personality and slamming his hand on the table. "Where's the damn food?"

"Keep it down, you fool, or I'll kick you out myself!" Kiba joked, faking annoyance.

"Ha, just try me!"

"You're so on for a drinking contest, Blondie."

"I'll just beat you at it, as usual."

"I'm not dragging your drunken sorry ass home again, moron." Sasuke said causally, lifting with that sentence some of the weight Naruto carried on his shoulders. At least it seemed that they still had a chance to be alright. _Alright_ was the best he could hope for, at least for now.

"Hey, do you want me to remind you how many times I dragged your alcoholic corpse across Konoha?" Naruto returned, sticking out his tongue at Sasuke, who just huffed. "Oh, but don't worry, I'll give Neji the undying pleasure of seeing you heaving your guts out."

"Don't even remind me of that!" Kiba laughed, clutching his belly with both arms. "Damn it**,** Uchiha, you're so fucking funny when you're wasted! You should've seen yourself that time when you completely ruined…"

Making sure everyone was in a good mood and having fun was an easy thing for Naruto, who always knew what to say and do to put a smile on people's faces. Seeing Sasuke's calm demeanor and feeling his lighter aura made it all worth it. He was finally enjoying himself and Naruto managed to feel happy that he had been the cause. Everyone was taking it lightly; he just had to do the same. If only he could**,** in some way**, **keep close to Sasuke**,** maybe they wouldn't draw apart so much. If only he could make Sasuke smile like that more often…

He glanced at his other teammate. She was making small, courteous conversation with Neji while trying to disguise her paleness as fatigue. Sasuke was impassive but Naruto knew he was pleased with her, which was just what she wanted from him.

_We_**_'_**_ll make it through this, Sakura-chan._

Green eyes met his as pink lips curved upwards and both their thoughts clashed.

_Yep. Two can play this game._


	5. Chapter Four: Heartbeat

**A/N: **Okaaaay, on with the show! Thank you to my lovely beta **chase3136**, who is working hard in revising this baby of mine! Much love to her.

Also thank you to those who reviewed, you made me so happy! There's a bit of good stuff on this chapter, or so I think. I hope I was able to make it up to you guys!

Dear reader, **please continue to give me your honest opinion** – even if it's a bad opinion –, I can take it. It just feels so good to be given feedback.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Heartbeat<strong>

Hinata was fond of her cousin. Even though when they were younger, he had resented her so much he almost ended up killing her, in the past few years, as Neji found out the truth about his clan and his father's death, they learned to respect each other and had been able to get along to the point where they had the need to be supportive and protective of the other.

Hinata would never forget how Neji encouraged her to confess her feelings to Naruto and how he was right beside her when she defied her father about dating him. She loved her clan and her family, but she knew the Hyuuga was one of the most ancient clans in Konoha, thus still living according to many old fashioned rules and traditions that neither her, nor Neji were supportive of. Remembering how hard she had had to struggle to prove that she was better than her little sister always brought an acidic feeling to the girl's stomach. Those had been painful, difficult times for her and she often wondered how Neji must have felt when he fought so hard to be the best, only to remain in the shadows because he did not belong to the main family.

But now she was stronger, more confident than she had ever been, and Neji had accepted his condition as a member of the branch family while trying to prove himself in his own way. He was the pride of the Hyuuga, even if not many inside the clan were allowed to express it openly. Hinata made a promise to herself that when she became the head of the main house she would make sure Neji held one of the highest positions she could give him.

Despite how unpredictable Neji's new relationship with Sasuke had been, she was filled with pride for him for making it public because it proved that her cousin finally understood that fate was mutable and that he could mold it as much as he liked. She was not brave enough to ask her strict cousin about it, but she was sure that if two people like them could find the heart to be together then it just had to mean it was meant to be. Hinata was actually very happy for them since she thought her Nii-san would never fall in love. Arranged marriages were common in the family, and few were those who had the guts to defy those laws.

Hiashi had not been happy about Hinata's relationship with Naruto. He did not like the Kyuubi vessel one bit and feared that his daughter's purity could be damaged by him. She had to be virgin when she married a good man of good breeding. What would happen if she got pregnant? However, placated by Neji's words and trusting Hinata's shyness to behave and know her place as a woman, he decided to indulge in her little fantasy of being together with her crush, believing that sooner or later she would come to her senses and leave him. That was the reason why he did not bother to even be in the same room as Naruto.

Neji's case was a little different. As soon as it came out from the mouths of dozens of ocular witnesses that two boys, a Hyuuga and an Uchiha were dating, the chaos settled. Some said it was unnatural and a shame to the village and their names; others found it oddly fascinating and found some kind of hope of what could become of such a powerful union. Some despised it. Some were intrigued. Some admired it. Some were too scared of both boys to even open their mouths. Whatever people thought or said about them, no one dared to treat them differently or ask them about it.

Hiashi was livid but Neji could not care less, daring for the first time to bring Sasuke along with him to the Compound so that the raven could spend the night in his house. The next morning, Neji's servants were gossiping with other servants while giggling that the two had been so loud no one was able to sleep. Hinata had feared her father's wrath, but then the most amazing thing happened when two middle aged female members of the clan decided to come out and tell everyone they were in love. Two teenage boys belonging to one of the most inferior houses also manifested their desire to be together.

Hiashi was speechless. The fact that at least five more couples in the village came out during the next few days only unfazed the head of the house even more, who was debating whether to punish his nephew and the members of his clan or just let it be and try to be a little benevolent of his people's happiness. As it was, he allowed Neji to do as he pleased but made sure to let him know how unpleased and disappointed he was, and how he hoped the Uchiha broke his heart so that the young Hyuuga could start thinking clearly about his future and his duties to the clan.

It was obvious to everyone that Sasuke did not like to spend his nights at the Hyuuga Compound. People tended to stare at him and talk behind his back, not to mention they avoided any kind of verbal or physical interaction with him. He greatly disliked having Neji's servants walking about the large mansion and made it clear that if he ever even saw a glimpse of his mother – who had moved to the main house when Neji turned eighteen – he would never set foot on those grounds again.

Hinata found it rather funny because her docile aunt wanted to meet the handsome Uchiha everyone was talking about, but dared not trespass her son's privacy unless he allowed it since he was an adult already, more than responsible for himself and for what he did with his life. She dared not speak a word about Neji being with another man, and no one knew her thoughts, not that anyone asked. Women in the family that were not meant to succeed as heirs of the main house, were expected to be obedient, good housewives and sometimes respectable Shinobi who were not allowed to go further than the level of Chuunin.

Neji's mother was a quiet woman and not a Shinobi. Instead, she worked almost as the patronage of all women who did not wish to become Shinobi, teaching them all they had to know to be true, respectable Hyuuga wives. She was highly cherished by everyone and Hinata liked her despite how seldom they spoke to each other. Actually, the Hyuuga heiress knew that not even Neji spoke to her that often, which apparently did not disturb him, or her.

Hinata was completely happy with her life as it was and everybody acknowledged that. She felt accomplished as a Ninja, as a future leader and as a woman, and was glad that Neji had found the same sort of completion she felt.

The young girl knew that there were things about her relationship with her blond boyfriend that could be better than they were, but she was confident that time would work in their favor and that, eventually, things would be so perfect**,** Naruto would fall in love with her and they would have the same vibrant chemistry that she saw and admired about Neji and Sasuke.

What she did not see was that the wrong things between her and Naruto that were so simple for her to solve, did not look half as simple in the blond boy's mind.

oOo

Naruto was in a terrible mood. No, _terrible_ was such an insignificant word that it could not even describe how he was feeling at 23:00 hours of the night before he was supposed to leave for his mission with Neji.

As if that had not been reason enough to make him feel annoyed, his day had been a complete shit. The kids at school had invented this new game called "cooties" that consisted in rubbing themselves on their colleagues to spread the "disease". If the person with the "disease" rubbed themselves on another person, then they would be cured. This could all be immensely funny had his class not decided to play during lessons, and since some kids really hated the damn game, Naruto had to break up more than five fights in his classroom.

When he got out from work, hungry for a bowl of Ichiraku ramen, he found the small dine-in closed for personal matters. To make things worse, when he went to visit Hinata at the Hyuuga Compound, he just had to be greeted by one of the many Hyuuga that hated him and despised his relationship with their future leader. The middle aged man told him to leave in a very literal way, saying that "Hiashi-sama" was not pleased by the amount of time his direct family was spending outside the house, thus forbidding Hinata to go out at such a late hour. Naruto did not even get the chance to get a glimpse of the pretty young girl.

Fuming and muttering about how he just had to meet his future father in law – yes, because Hiashi had had no desire whatsoever to meet him – and tell him a couple of things, Naruto went home to rant to himself about how his life had become so depressing as of late.

Usually, when he had a bad day, the blond would walk to his best friend's house and invite himself to dinner. Sasuke would always call him all sorts of dirty names but would cook for him anyway and lend him something comfy to wear. They would talk – Naruto would do most of the talking and Sasuke would pretend he wasn't interested in the conversation –, fight over something trivial and pick at each other, or simply watch TV side by side on the raven's fluffy sofa. He had felt that his friend's house was almost like his second home and he missed it.

Remembering those days that seemed so distant did nothing to improve Naruto's mood.

Now it was late and he was lying on his back on his bed, too tired to do anything else, but too annoyed to sleep. Starring at the cracked ceiling above him, he scratched impatiently at his stomach underneath his orange t-shirt while thinking about a perfect lopsided smile that always seemed to be irresistibly mocking.

The sheets had been pushed to the foot of the bed so that he was completely uncovered since the night was a little hot.

The sun kissed boy huffed as he turned to his side and closed his eyes to try to sleep, shifting slightly to adjust his baby blue boxers.

Just as he was starting to feel a bit drowsy, a firm knock on the glass window beside his bed startled him, causing him to jump violently and sit up with his heart almost coming out of his throat as he sighted the person on the outside.

_Sasuke…_

The bastard had bothered to knock but was now sliding open the window and climbing to get inside without permission, settling one foot on the mattress for support.

"What the fuck, Sasuke?" Naruto complained loudly, as the raven swung his other leg inside the house. "Get your fucking shoes off my bed! Are you trying to pollute my house and bring me bad luck?* Geez, that's just…."

However, before he could say anything else, he was roughly pushed back into a laying position, now with added weight on top of him as Sasuke's hard, heavy body straddled his hips.

Blue eyes grew wide as they scanned his friend's moon bathed and elegant figure in the semi-darkness of the small apartment.

Sasuke was wearing a white plain t-shirt over a pair of worn out black shorts. His pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light coming from the outside; his dark eyes seemed to have acquired a surprising lighter shade since they looked faintly grey, or maybe it was just the blonde's imagination.

The raven had a triumphant lopsided smile across his lips, his white teeth shining perfectly.

Despite how casual and slightly disarranged the young man above him looked, all Naruto could think about in his shocked state was how warm that unexpected body was and how distractingly beautiful that neck curve was.

_Neji would kill me if he knew I'm having these thoughts._

"If I had known that straddling you was an effective way to shut you up, I would've done it already." Sasuke mocked, earning a blush from the other, who thanked every God in the world that it was dark enough to disguise it.

"Shut up, asshole," Naruto replied harshly, promptly ignoring the unsteady rhythm of his heart. "What the fuck do you want, invading my privacy at this hour?"

"Condoms." came the easy reply, causing Naruto to blink several times in confusion.

"Come again?" He asked, in a choked whisper.

Sasuke's smile became even more mischievous as he leaned down, placing both his hands at the sides of the blonde's head, over his white pillow, making Naruto almost jump out of his skin at the uncomfortable proximity.

"_Condoms_," The raven repeated slowly, mouth inches away from Naruto's as if teasing him on purpose. "Every store is closed, so I figured you could have some."

Sasuke was barely touching him and yet he was everywhere. Naruto watched in awe as dark bluish bangs dangled above his whiskered face, the tips of it caressing his cheekbones softly. The scent of soap and shampoo surrounded him. Sasuke's t-shirt tickled the little bit of belly he was exposing. The way he was leaning over him almost caused their groins to touch. Why Naruto was so abnormally aware of all this was a complete mystery to him. It was scary, though.

"You should've asked Sakura-chan, she's the one who has access to those sorts of things." Naruto grumbled, forcing himself to turn his tone of embarrassment into one of annoyance, which he could do successfully since he was indeed annoyed at being forced to deal with some sort of playfully sick joke from Sasuke's part.

"Don't be moronic," Sasuke said naturally, breath ghosting over Naruto's lips. "I would never ask her for such a thing, I'm not that insensitive."

"Oh, but you'd be insensitive enough to ask me?" Naruto groaned**;** bits of old anger fueling inside him.

"I didn't know my sex life affected you that much." The Uchiha retorted as his smile disappeared. Dark eyes clashed with clear ones as those unresolved issues from days ago settled in to cause a tensed silence. Even though they had somehow settled an agreement, they still had not been alone or spoken to each other, not even after Sasuke's birthday.

Naruto bit his lip and Sasuke frowned at the lack of response.

What felt like hours later; Naruto was able to clear his throat.

"Can't you wait until tomorrow?" He asked, dryly.

"Would I go out on purpose if it could wait until tomorrow? Besides, you and Neji are leaving."

"I had no idea you were such a horny bitch." Naruto said, with spite. He hadn't meant for it to come out as harsh as it did, but what was done was done and there was no turning back now.

"Now you know," Sasuke replied firmly, his voice dropping several degrees as it became carefully cold. "If you had someone waiting in your bed you would be, too."

The younger one did not know why such words made his heart clench and his nerves boil so lively. The only thing he knew was that he disliked Sasuke's defiance and the way he was approaching the subject. He did not have to be so rude and arrogant about it.

Naruto propped himself up on his elbows, and since Sasuke refused to move or distance himself from him their chests were firmly pressed together, noses touching briefly.

For some reason, it felt dangerous and somewhat erotic. Naruto was aware that they had never been this close before except when they were fighting, but he also knew it was some kind of challenge. Sasuke was testing him. Sasuke could listen to the frantic beating of his unsure heart. Sasuke could definitely feel him swallowing hard, over and over again.

"You don't have any?" The raven pressed, insisting on keeping his voice neutral and superior despite how low it came out this time.

Again, Naruto swallowed and kept his steady, defiant gaze on the other even though it was hazy because of how close they were.

_What the fuck is wrong with me? And after all the thinking I did to come to terms with this…_

_But I'm so pissed off at you, fucking prick!_

_Shove your fucking condoms up you__r__ fucking ass! No, shove them up your boyfriend's ass, which would be much better._

_No, wait; you'd totally like that, wouldn't you?_

_How the fuck am I getting a hard on because of this?_

_Please, just fuck off…_

_You're messing with me…_

"I don't want to give you any fucking condoms," Naruto spat; horrifying himself at how spiteful and resentful he sounded. "Just do it without them; it's not like either of you will get pregnant anyway."

It could be interpreted as sarcasm, a joke even. But Naruto never joked with such intensity in his words. This time, Sasuke did move away as if he had been slapped across the face, sitting on the younger's hips once more as his eyebrows rose up.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He threw back, truly astonished.

_He's mad…_

_I'm screwing up again._

_Why?_

_Does he really like Neji that much?_

_Why is it so hard to just accept that he has someone? That he's alright?_

_Why?_

_I thought, for some reason…_

"What did I ever do to you to be given such a cold shoulder about this?" Sasuke asked, demandingly. "Why is it that all of a sudden, me having someone is such a big deal in that thick head of yours?"

_Why, indeed._

_Is it because it's Neji? Neji; who is so much at your level._

"Just get off me." Naruto said, tiredly looking away. He wanted to shove him but feared his body might betray him if he touched him at that moment.

"No."

"I said, get off me!"

"Fine! Fucking idiot..."

The Uchiha dismounted him at once and got to his feet but did not intend to stand still, or even leave. Instead, he occupied himself with opening every drawer and every cabinet he could find in the small house, and rummage childishly and rudely through their contents as Naruto watched him from the bed with his chin almost falling to the floor.

"What the… Sasuke, what the hell do you think you're doing, touching my things?" He yelled, fury mixing with panic and a type of pain that was too gruesome to explain.

"Looking for what I came here to get," was the simple answer, filled with venom. "If you're being stubborn, I can handle things myself."

"_I'm_ being stubborn?" Naruto gasped, bringing one hand to his head. Huffing loudly, he got up and promptly slammed shut every door and drawer Sasuke had left open, shutting as well the ones he was currently opening, one after the other. "Just go to Kakashi's or something! Are you listening to me? You have no right to come here and…"

"Would you shut up?" Sasuke bawled, glaring at Naruto like he had been the cause of every disaster in his life, which made the other shiver slightly but keep his head firm with pride and boldness. "Where the fuck are they? Or is your sex life so meaningless and boring you don't find the need to have any? What did you expect with such a prude like Hinata, huh? No wonder you're so fucking frustrated and can't leave me the fuck alone!"

At that precise moment, Naruto's mind cracked for several reasons. When he reacted, all he thought about was how much it was his time to simply need Sasuke to shut up and how much he wanted to make amends right now before it was too late – before they finally broke each other beyond repair.

So, Naruto did the only reasonable thing he could think about at the moment: he punched that pretty face hard, and felt no remorse whatsoever when Sasuke's head turned to the side with the force of the blow. He could barely register the murderous look in the Uchiha's eyes before he was punched back with full force, stumbling faintly with his hand over his jaw until his back hit the commode behind him.

The pain was abrupt; it was not just his jaw that hurt, but his whole face and his head too.

Sasuke was in front of him, panting and glaring at him with ferocious tenacity, his hands balled into fists. There was a large opened bruise on the corner of his mouth that was bleeding and quickly starting to redden.

Body shaking with wrath, the older one straightened with as much dignity as he could muster and ran a hand through his sleek hair, never breaking eye contact with Naruto, who could only inhale and exhale quickly as though he had just run the marathon.

"Sasuke…"

But Sasuke was already turning on his heels and heading to the door with steady steps, more than ready to leave without looking behind.

_No…_

Naruto barely had the time to consider what he would do next since Sasuke could be extremely fast and ruthless when he wanted to, meaning that the blond could not afford to let a single second slip by if he wanted to safeguard whatever was left of the bond they still shared. It was because of that bond that the slightest of things made them hurt so badly, and still, Naruto thought that he preferred to suffer for the rest of his life than to sever it.

He did not know what possessed him to walk over to Sasuke, wrap his arms around his waist strongly and bury his face in his nape.

The Uchiha went stiff in his arms, still breathing heavily. His heart was beating so hard Naruto could feel it rumble underneath his ribs.

"Don't go," Naruto whispered softly in such a low voice that the other shuddered. "Stay with me for a while. I'll give you all the condoms I have; you can keep the whole damn box if you want."

Sasuke sighed, moaning in frustration as he let his face fall to his right hand.

"This is not about fucking condoms, you idiot…" He replied, tiredly. "For the love of…let me go."

"No. Just…stay with me, okay?"

"I can't stay. He's waiting for me."

Naruto breathed in slowly to calm down the raging monster of jealousy within him and nuzzled Sasuke's back unconsciously with his nose. Amazingly, the unfamiliar contact was soothing. It was warm and felt welcoming.

_I really thought I was okay with this already._

He did not want him to go, did not want him to leave his house like that. He would not screw things up again.

"Just a few more minutes," He begged, closing his fingers tightly around the brunet's t-shirt. "Hear me out. I want to make things right, so please…"

Sasuke sighed once more. He nodded and while Naruto did not see it, he felt it, reason why he allowed his arms to lose their grip on him completely as he took a small step back.

Sasuke turned to him, face as blank as a plain sheet of paper, that thin trail of dark blood still marking the side of his mouth, down to the side of his chin. It was beautiful and sadistically distracting.

They were still too close for comfort; chests rubbing as once more their noses almost touched, but neither did anything to move away. Only then did the blond one realize that he was finally of the same height as Sasuke.

Naruto swallowed hard as he stared at the other male. There was something inside him that felt hollow now that he was no longer directly holding that body.

The blond boy felt his heartbeat increase in speed. He had so many things he wanted to say, so much he wanted to express, so much he needed Sasuke to understand, but his thoughts were tainted, suddenly confused and he forgot all about what he had wanted to proclaim for so many days.

Of all the things he wanted to say, he felt only half of them were true. We wanted to tell Sasuke how lonely he was, how much he wanted to just hang out with him like they used to, how envious he felt at Neji for taking up all of his time, how jealous he felt that he was apparently having hot, passionate sex with someone.

Naruto knew sex, the sweet kind of sex where he had to be gentle and considerate, but he knew nothing about mind blowing passion, nothing of desire, and nothing about the intense need one feels for another. Naruto wanted to experience it, needed to see what it was like but it felt so distant it hurt, like he would never have the chance to know of such a feeling.

He also wanted to tell Sasuke that he was glad neither of them were no longer alone, that they both finally had someone they could relate to, someone who gave them what they needed; that he was happy for him and would give his full support no matter what because now was the time for growing up and for them to follow their own paths and find out exactly what they wanted…

He never wanted them to be mad at each other again.

The problem was; he would be lying for the most part of his imagined conversation.

And despite all these things, there was only one thing Naruto really wanted to say.

_Don't leave me behind. I thought we were each other's home._

His mind was an empty void. His voice seemed stuck in his throat. All he could do was look into Sasuke's eyes to try to understand the new found expression in them. Did Sasuke seem… lost? Confused? Troubled?

_His heart is beating so fast…or is it mine?_

"I don't understand," Sasuke said in a whisper, breath ghosting over Naruto's lips gently and frowning ever so slightly. "That look on your face is…unknown to me."

"Bastard, can you even see my face properly?" Naruto muttered back, trying to somehow make a joke despite knowing Sasuke would not fall for it.

"Tsk, idiot. I don't even know why you're this close to me."

Sasuke's voice was now as weak as Naruto's throat was constricted. It was weird – the blond knew he should take a step back, talk as he had planned, grant them both some decent enough personal space and yet, he did not want it and his muscles did not seem willing to do it either; probably teased by Sasuke's defiance in also remaining in the same damn place.

"That's too bad, 'cause I don't know either." was all Naruto could muster.

Then, unpredictably, his body took complete control of him and acted on his own, and as blue eyes shut, he was leaning forward irrationally as he stuck out his tongue and tentatively licked the thread of blood on Sasuke's smooth skin, starting at the side of his jaw and lightly following the short path upwards until the tip was making soft soothing movements in the corner of the raven's mouth, making sure he cleaned every single trace of the red substance. It tasted metallic and sweet at the same time.

Just like when Naruto hugged him, Sasuke went rigid at the action, shivering briefly before becoming completely still and holding his breath.

Naruto knew what he was doing, knew he somehow really wanted to do it right now, but did not know why, or what led him to do it. He had already stepped on a landmine since Sasuke was probably too shocked to react, so he could only hope that he could take some sort of advantage of it while his friend was too distracted to release his fury.

One shaky, sweaty hand moved up to rest on the curve of Sasuke's neck while the other closed around a slender wrist as if to prevent it from flying without warning. As fingers gently stroked the soft exposed skin, Sasuke released the air he had been holding in his lungs and resumed breathing, but this time, it came out completely ragged as if the contact made him feel trapped.

On the other hand – while fearing the outcome – Naruto felt ecstatic from the unfamiliar feeling of actually doing something he was not sure about. He was under rating safe territory and the feeling was exhilarating, like standing on the edge of a cliff during a wild storm. It was all too new, too exciting.

There he was, with Sasuke's heartbeat thumping violently against his with the evidence of how alive and aware he was. There was only Sasuke's amazingly tempting skin, Sasuke's all too familiar scent that seemed delicious for the first time, and Sasuke's blood inside him, his taste still lingering in his mouth.

Sasuke; who was not his, but someone else's.

Naruto moaned as the painful and uninvited thought crossed his mind.

_What the fuck am I doing?_

But just as the whiskered boy was preparing to move his face away and break the spell he got himself into, mellow lips brushed flippantly over his and prevented him from doing so and turning his whole world upside down in a matter of milliseconds.

Sasuke's mouth was kissing him, moving in the slowest of ways, lightly and carefully, almost as if the Uchiha was feeling shy. It was so innocent it hurt, and yet, it made Naruto's knees turn to jelly and his head spin at the speed of light, at the same time that many things he had never experienced started happening. He felt dizzy, his body felt like it had caught fire and his stomach was turning around in a way that almost made him sick, but in a good way, if that was possible.

When Sasuke closed his free fingers around golden locks of nape hair and ran a sneaky, expert tongue sensuously along his lower lip to make him react, Naruto did just that as his lower parts became painfully hard.

_No way…There's just no way…_

_Sasuke is kissing me..._

Throwing all caution to the wind, the Uzumaki relaxed as much as he could and eagerly opened his mouth to let Sasuke's curious tongue inside before moving it against Sasuke's, clumsily at first as sloppy sounds and gasps surrounded the both of them. The kiss changed quickly from experimental to an urgent need to taste and feel as much as possible as soon as the younger one found a pace that matched Sasuke's. Their tongues clashed in slippery swirls and the raven moaned indecorously.

Naruto thought that he would have come in his pants easily had they been touching each other. He had never felt so aroused and so quickly in all of his life, and it was amazing. His whole body, his whole skin, his heart, his soul, everything was begging for more.

Sasuke was one hell of a kisser. He was one hell of everything at that point and Naruto wanted him like he had never wanted anyone or anything in his life. It was intense and powerful, scary, and so completely wrong because there was Neji and Hinata…

But that kiss was nothing like the two accidental kisses** they had shared when they were younger and nothing like anything he had ever tried with his timid girlfriend.

It was like being home and feeling alive and wanting the world and knowing you _could_ get it. It was so simple, yet so breathtaking it seemed like the most beautifully absurd dream.

It was like finally feeling complete.

Naruto did not know if Sasuke felt the same vibrant energy he was feeling, but knew that he was definitely enjoying it since his erection was so obviously pressed against his, in that intoxicating way that neither seemed brave enough to test. Luckily – or unfortunately – they were both sane enough not to do anything impulsive that would make them regret that moment for the rest of their lives. Had Naruto been out of his mind like he wished he was, he would have probably shoved his hands inside Sasuke's t-shirt, pressed him against the nearest surface and hump him until they were both screaming out their orgasms. As it was, he just kept his body as still as he could and kept kissing, tonguing his best friend's warm, heavenly mouth until one of them got tired of it. It was one of the best things he had ever felt.

_I guess this is it then…that thing they call "desire". And I have it in me for you, you complete son of a…_

"Shit…" Just like he had initiated the kiss, it was the Uchiha who broke it, gasping for air and trembling slightly. He let his hand fall from Naruto's hair to his shoulder heavily. "I thought we were going to talk…not this."

With his lips still parted, blond lashes shot up and blue eyes met Sasuke's flushed, unfocused face that made him look like he was much younger and more naïve than he was.

"I…You started it." Naruto mumbled, still too moved by all the things he just felt to provide a dignified remark, his own hand sliding from that gorgeous curve to curl around Sasuke's t-shirt over his chest.

If there had been tension before they kissed, it was nothing compared to the tension at the moment. The two young men were still too close to each other and still refusing to move away despite the new found feelings hanging between them. Everything was too fresh and they both felt confused about what had just happened.

"You licked me," Sasuke retorted, as if he still could not believe it entirely. "You licked me, Naruto."

"Licking you did not mean I intended to kiss you." Naruto said, blushing violently and swallowing hard. He had had the urge to do it and he would have probably done it if Sasuke had not taken the first step, but it was not like he was going to tell him that.

"Yet, you were touching me," Sasuke pointed out, frowning and nodding disbelievingly. "I don't…This is…We're both committed."

"I know…, it was wrong of me and I'm sorry, I…"

"Wrong?" Sasuke replied, laughing weakly. "Is this why you've been such a prick about this whole Neji issue?"

"What?" Naruto asked, for the first time moving away only enough to be able to look fully into Sasuke's now dead serious face.

"Are you jealous?" The question was straightforward and it struck Naruto like a running elephant. Not like he hadn't known he had been jealous before, but because he understood that Sasuke was thinking about a completely different thing.

"Me; jealous? I don't…"

"Yes, jealous of Neji for taking up most of my time, jealous because we're actually making it work unlike you and Hinata," The raven haired said harshly. "And jealous because he has many parts of me you never had. I don't even know why I indulge your shit…"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sasuke, I never…"

"No, you completely took me for granted and you're only doing this because you feel threatened," Sasuke cut, abruptly pushing the blond away from him with a resentful grimace, making Naruto stare at him wide eyed. The magic and the fantasy all faded as the remnants of what had been a wonderful thing turned to cold stones. "Suddenly you find out you want me because now I'm letting someone else in! Isn't that just fucking perfect?"

"What the fuck are you babbling about, you were the one who kissed _me_!" Naruto yelled horrified at how quickly such positive intensity turned into an absurd fight.

"I was testing you, moron," Sasuke snapped, rooting Naruto to the spot. "You think I didn't notice the way you've been looking at me lately? You never looked at me like that but all of a sudden I'm pretty interesting right?"

Naruto's jaw dropped and he felt his entire body freeze.

An act? Why? They had made up at the restaurant, hadn't they? Sasuke kissed him of his own accord and he was enjoying it, no one could fake a freaking hard-on! He was lying, he had to be. Sasuke would not do such a bastardly thing…would he?

Now that Naruto remembered, he had been acting all flirty ever since he got there…

In the depths of Naruto's heart, where fear and hesitancy had been now lived a raging anger.

"Fuck you." He snapped back venomously. "It just suits you to sink so low to prove a point. And you're right, I was jealous, but you know what? It's gone now, thanks for being such an asshole, it really helped me out. Now get the fuck out of my fucking house!"

And Sasuke did not need to be told twice since he was as angry as Naruto. Forming a seal with both his hands, he turned his hateful, upset eyes to meet Naruto's and vanished in a puff of smoke.

That night the whiskered Jounin tossed and turned in his bed, praying to all gods he knew and to those he did not know for sleep to come and get him, which proved to be useless since his mind was too active with memories of sinful lips that he still felt vividly over his and words that hit his heart like daggers.

Testing or no testing, Sasuke had enjoyed the damn kiss! No one could kiss another person like that unless they weren't giving it their all, right?

_Right?_

Naruto never thought he could have such strong feelings towards Sasuke, nor that Sasuke could cause such a great impact on his body. It had been amazing in a sort of intimidating, but thrilling way, like adrenaline.

Not that it mattered, they were still fighting and Sasuke still had a boyfriend and Naruto still had Hinata. They couldn't just start something out of thin air just because they kissed once like that.

_Great, now I have a crush on that son of a…fuck!_

He had wanted to make amends but ended up screwing up again. Still, Sasuke was definitely at fault this time as well! But Naruto was willing to make things right when he got back from his mission with Neji because…well, he _had_ been an equal prick from the very beginning.

_Speaking of Neji, I hope Sasuke doesn't tell him about this or it's going to be hell!_

_How the fuck did I manage to make things even worse?_

_And he didn't even take those damn condoms._

It was terrible that, in spite of how bad things were, the boy was still terribly aroused by what had happened between him and his best friend.

Whining in absolute defeat, he covered himself with his bed sheets and absently found himself staring at his old ceiling again while his right hand traveled automatically to the inside of his boxers. He tried to think about Hinata. Hinata's big, soft breasts, her lovely curves and her lovely skin but he failed even at that as his thoughts just kept traveling down the wrong road.

_It's not wrong thinking about him while doing this is it? It's not like it's cheating compared to what I just did…_

_I'm so fucked up…_

_Sasuke…_

Only when he felt remotely satiated after releasing some of the huge amounts of testosterone from his body did Naruto realize that maybe, just maybe, Sasuke had gone to his house to make up properly but ended up being caught in a web of deceit and mutual internal conflicts.

oOo

Neji did not oppose to being bottom. Actually, he and Sasuke were both pretty versatile and almost always were sensible enough to know when to abdicate their natural positions as tops to make the other happy. Usually, it happened smoothly because most of the times they were both horny enough to just go with what was more practical, depending on the place, the position or how much in a hurry they were. Sometimes, they bottomed just out of sheer impatience because one of them was in no mood to fight for dominance. Sometimes, they sent physical signals to each other indicating what they wanted or needed. On the rare occasions when things did not go as one of them wanted…let's just say it became rather ugly.

However, when Sasuke got home after taking more than an hour to return – and without those damn condoms – he was surprised by the ferociousness with which the Uchiha pinned him to the bed before kissing him with such force it was intoxicating.

Neji understood immediately that it was one of those days that Sasuke _needed_ to top since he seemed almost to the point of exploding from sheer frustration. The young Uchiha was angry; everything about him was off, starting from the impatient, careless way he touched him, moving along to the fact that he did not care about wearing protection despite how many times he ruined the mood insisting they had to be safe, finishing in the rude way he was currently making love. It was not like Sasuke was a meticulous person during sex, quite the contrary; he was able to loosen up more than the Hyuuga, but the way he was vigorously and desperately clinging to him ruthlessly, as he thrust into him was beyond sloppy and beyond his usual self. Neji was used to doing it roughly like that once in a while, but Sasuke had not even bothered with using lube.

As Sasuke came silently and rather abruptly inside him, shivering in a gruesome way as his expression contorted in revulsion, Neji wondered about what could have happened out there to upset his boyfriend so much.

Just to please him, the pale eyed man let the shorter one try his best to make him come as well but his heart was clearly not in it.

"I'm not feeling well; I'm sorry if I was rough, it won't happen again." was Sasuke's heartfelt apology before kissing Neji in an unusual tender fashion and falling immediately asleep over his naked chest.

The older prodigy lay in Sasuke's low bed, stroking the flossy spikes of his hair as he thought about how he knew who the only person in the whole world was that could turn the stoic Uchiha into such a wreck. Now, he just had to find out why.

The beautiful man was currently his closest person and he would not let anyone hurt what he was slowly learning to hold dear. He would protect Sasuke no matter what and make sure that he never had any reasons to feel such rage again, even if it meant having a little heart to heart banter with a certain blue eyed Ninja.

Naruto may have changed the way Neji saw his life, he may even have been the cause for his change of heart about people and the world itself, but he would be damned if the brat ever got the chance to interfere with the way his current life was going.

Even if he owed a lot to Naruto, he would never allow him to damage what he was trying so hard to fix and claim as his.

oOo

The moment Naruto arrived at the huge gates that held the entrance of the prosperous village of Konoha, he had a bad feeling. First, he thought it was just his brain malfunctioning from lack of sleep and probably from jerking off too many times the previous night. However, as soon as he saw Hyuuga Neji's tall, imposing figure approaching him, he instantly felt so sick he almost threw up the small amount of food he had shoved down his throat that morning.

It was not as if Neji looked mad or threatening, but he was Neji, Sasuke's boyfriend, and the most powerful member of his prestigious clan – that alone was more than enough for any wise man to know when to take a step back. Naruto never really feared him or ever cared about his fucking name or whatever – after all, he did kick his ass in a fight – but now, he was pretty much nervous. If the Hyuuga knew he and Sasuke had kissed, he would be pretty much dead.

"Good morning, Naruto." Neji greeted in his monotone voice.

"Hi, Neji!" Naruto greeted back, loudly and forcibly cheerfully, making a salute gesture. "You look like you're in a good mood! Ready to go?"

"I was born ready," Neji replied promptly, his eyes scanning Naruto from head to toe like he was x-raying him but not giving any indication that he was about to do any of those gentle fists that hurt like hell. "Have you checked us out of the village yet?"

"Yep, all set!" The blond exclaimed, relieved.

"You look like shit; you should drop that cheerful act already, it's annoying."

Naruto felt a muscle in his cheek twitch but did not stop smiling in spite of how de-motivating Neji's cool glare was.

"I'm always cheerful no matter what, unlike some moody people I know," He retorted, giving Neji the finger now that he knew he was not going to be painfully killed by his colleague. "Besides, I _am _excited! We're meeting two Kages and escorting them! And can you believe it that the Kazekage requested for _my_ personal escort? How cool is that?"

"Yeah, so cool, now can we please get going?"

"Yosh!"

"You're more annoying than Lee and that's saying a lot."

"Shove it, Neji."

Side by side, the two got out of the village and immersed themselves in the thickness of the forest, ready for a mission that neither knew was about to bring some unexpected surprises home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2nd:**

*The Japanese do not wear shoes in the house and generally leave them in them at the _Genkan_, at the entrance to leave all the worries and problems outside. It's tradition, almost like a superstition, but also to avoid all sorts of dirt – spiritual and from the street/outside world.

**For those of you who do not follow the anime, there was this little filler episode where Naruto and Sasuke accidentally kiss again. Pretty funny, actually, go check it out.


	6. Chapter Five: Twists and Twirls

**A/N:** This was tough to write since it was my first time trying to add many different scenes in one chapter. I only hope it turned out alright though.

As always, a biiiiig thank you to my lovely beta, **chase 3136 **who always does such a terrific job! Thank you so much to those who reviewed, it means a lot to me! I always get so excited whenever someone finds my story worthy enough to be reviewed, it's so cool! Even when there are critiques, it's totally awesome.

Oh, and I know Gaara turned Kazekage at the age of 15/16, but bear with me for the sake of the plot.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: Twists and Twirls<strong>

The small traditional tavern was surprisingly empty for that time of the day. It was rather hot outside, and the place was already too warm to be comfortable, so it was good that it wasn't crowded.

Kakashi was currently staring with awe at his dark haired student who was sitting across from him at the square, low table, but kept his face as impassable as he possibly could.

He and Sasuke had arranged to meet in order to have lunch together, and yet, for the very first time, the elder Jounin found himself actually waiting for his student instead of being waited for.

It had been almost noon when he went over to Sasuke's place. The raven had opened the door half naked with a pale, sleepy face and sheets wrapped around his waist. Eventually, he went to take a bath and the two headed out to get something to eat, but it was still suspicious and completely out of character. Sasuke was always an early bird, he never slept in and most importantly, he was never late, which led Kakashi to think that something was seriously wrong with him. If that had not been proof enough, Sasuke's more than obvious foul mood was.

As it was, Kakashi did the best thing he could have done to get him to spill the beans to him**,** by persistently nagging him long enough for Sasuke to lose it and tell him everything he wanted to know.

So now, they were both waiting for their meals, sitting at the most discreet corner in the establishment, and Kakashi was listening neutrally while Sasuke pretended reluctance as he told him everything about the events of the previous night – how he had gone out for condoms but found the stores closed. Apparently, he had been wondering for quite some time now about Naruto's weird behavior towards the Neji issue, so he decided to go over to his place out of curiosity to see how the blond would react if he asked him for said condoms. He had intended to tease his friend a little, thinking Naruto would just take things easily – since he had apparently accepted Neji on Sasuke's birthday – but instead Sasuke found himself facing a very angry and disturbed Uzumaki. They had misunderstood each other or something, because Sasuke had gotten angry too and they ended up punching each other before Naruto came to his senses and almost apologized.

"He said he wanted to talk," Sasuke was saying, absently stirring his green tea with a frown on his forehead as he eyed the brown cup, his face resting over his hand. "But he ended up licking me; right here."

When Sasuke pointed his finger at the reddish bruise he now sported in the corner of his mouth, Kakashi was glad he had not been eating – or drinking – because if he had, he would have choked.

"He licked you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "_Naruto_?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, still averting his eyes from Kakashi's. "And…I'm not really sure what happened; we were close to each other and I got confused. There was this whole…tension going on. I was angry at him, but suddenly I wasn't anymore because I started to wonder if he's been making all this fuss because he has a crush on me or something. So, I kissed him to see if it was true…sort of...I don't even know what I thought at that moment, my body just moved on its own."

"Ah…" Kakashi muttered, shaking his head from side to side in a complacent way despite feeling somewhat excited inside. "You guys are such kids; you always get yourselves in such unnecessary trouble."

"Anyway…" Sasuke proceeded, eyeing him reproachfully for a moment before looking at his cup again. "He gave himself completely and kissed back, and it was…horrible."

"Horrible?" Kakashi asked, laughing softly at his student's choice of words in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "How so? Is he that bad of a kisser?"

"Not horrible like _that_!" Sasuke groaned, rolling his eyes and blushing slightly. "And that's completely beyond the point!"

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"The point is, it was horrible because it was…rather good," Sasuke admitted, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples gently with the tips of his fingers. "I wasn't really expecting to do it, let alone having him responding! I never even thought he would ever feel something like that for me, I just thought that all this shit was happening because he was jealous I'm having a good relationship with Neji while he's bored to death with Hinata."

The raven opened his eyes and pressed his lips together as if he was sulking.

"Kissing him was…scary," He said weakly but in a firm way, after a pause. "Because I think I might've liked it. We were always opposite sides of the same coin. Whatever I lack, Naruto has and vice-versa. Kissing him was like adding the missing pieces of a puzzle. Everything just fit together so unpredictably nicely it was unsettling."

"I fail to see how that is a bad thing." Kakashi muttered, carefully.

"It's bad because it came out of the blue!" Sasuke spat, finally looking his Sensei in the eye. "How, can you tell me, does something like this just _happen_? Why didn't it happen before? Why now?"

"Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing?" The grey haired man suggested, shrugging. "You may no longer be underage, but the both of you are still teenagers, barely adults. It's normal that sometimes your hormones get the best of you. I mean, you guys were fighting and anger sometimes distorts people's feelings."

Sasuke just sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Maybe you're right," He nodded, tiredly. "Still, it happened, and I freaked out to the point of saying horrible things and telling him it was all a plan to test him from the start. Well, I _did _feel a little used because…I actually _forgot _about Neji. I was unconsciously willing to lose all control at that moment. When I realized it, I became angry because Naruto had no right to just force his…whatever it is that he's feeling on me just because _now_ he decided he needs my attention."

The chubby waitress brought their orders – _Miso_ soup for Sasuke, and tuna_ Sashimi_ with rice for Kakashi – and scribbled down on a tiny pad the raven's request for sake to be brought at the end of the meal.

Kakashi lowered his mask and split his chopsticks apart before grabbing a bit of Sashimi and dipping it inside the tiny ceramic cup of soy sauce.

"Itadakimasu." He said.

"Mm." was Sasuke's reply before the two dug in. They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, the younger one slurping the soup with painful slowness accompanied by an absent look on his face.

Kakashi could not say he was too surprised by the unexpected turn of events between his two male students,since he had always predicted that, eventually, something like that would happen. He had always known they were dense when it came to each other, but he had not expected that they could have taken such a step and turn it into such a complicated matter when things could be so simple. Still, it was exciting that something like that was finally emerging. Maybe, it was already more than time that Team 7 settled things once and for all.

Then again, it was not his place to force things when his students were so impulsive about the matters of the heart.

"So…" Kakashi said naturally, putting down his chopsticks and pulling his mask down for a few milliseconds before taking a small swig of his beer. "Let me see if I got this straight. You have been suspicious of Naruto's behavior so you innocently decided to test what caused it, consequentially infuriating him. During the process you found out he may have a crush on you, so you kissed him impulsively yet ended up proving your point and finding out you actually liked it too, which caused you to panic– since the both of you are committed – and vent your frustration on him, and now you're both mad at each other again. Did I get it right?"

Sasuke just stared at him with eyes opened wide and his spoon hanging half way from entering his mouth before setting it down and swallowing the bit of Tofu he had been chewing.

"Er…something like that, I guess." He said, with an uncomfortable nod.

"The way I see it, Sasuke, you guys are just being childish," Kakashi said, smiling gently and choosing his words carefully. "You should know by now that Naruto is a simple-minded person. When he started dating Hinata, he never once gave her priority over you. Now, you have Neji and all of a sudden he's the center of your social life, which affected Naruto. You guys used to hang out all the time, he was free to go over to your place and you'd sometimes go look for him too, and now that was taken away from him."

"So you're saying that he's upset that I broke our routine?" Sasuke asked, making a face.

"Yes. As nice as it is to have someone, you have to remember that you had other people in your life way before that. You can't just do as you please and get rid of people, or the life you have accustomed them to."

"I never meant to _get rid of him, _I just didn't really notice I was doing it," Sasuke admitted, scratching the top of his head rudely. "I mean…after all, Naruto and I have been mad at each other ever since I told you guys about being committed, so I didn't really have the opportunity to hang out with him or anything."

"But even after your birthday, you had the time to spend the next few days at the Hyuuga compound just to piss off Neji's uncle." Kakashi reminded him.

"Yeah…" Sasuke said, a poorly masked guilty look crossing his features.

"Look, I'm not sure about any of that crush crap," The older man said, trying to be as fatherly as he possibly could. "What I do know is that the both of you have to keep it together if you want your friendship to last. The fact that he licked you and you kissed him could all have been a momentary thing caused by anger, it could mean nothing. You should just try and find a way to at least bring a little of your old routine back. I'm sure things will be back to the way they used to be and Naruto will be back to normal, you'll see. Just don't force Neji on him, and don't force him to deal with this whole issue until then."

"Maybe…" Sasuke agreed, not without an upset frown, now choosing to stir his soup aggressively.

"However," Kakashi pressed on seriously, attracting the Uchiha's attention once more. "If you do think that indeed Naruto has a crush on you, and that maybe – only maybe," He added, at Sasuke's dangerous look. "…you may feel something similar for him, you should observe him once the 'routine' is back and see if the feeling is still there."

"What if it is?" Sasuke asked suddenly, back straightening at once as if the mere thought itself was terrifying. "What if it wasn't just a coincidence or a spur of the moment thing?"

Kakashi had to smile openly at that. Finally, Sasuke was being a little more open-minded about the whole thing.

"Then you take a leap of faith," He said, reaching out and patting the top of the raven's head condescendingly. "Just because you're in a stable relationship doesn't mean it has to last forever. You're so young; you should definitely see what's best for you and live a little. Besides, it's better now than later anyway. The longer you're with Neji the more attached the two of you will become."

"Are you openly telling me to break up with Neji?" Sasuke hissed, promptly removing Kakashi's hand from his head.

"Not at all! I wouldn't dream of it!" Kakashi laughed, raising his hands in a surrendering gesture. "From all the commotion you guys are causing I'm well aware that you like him. I'm just saying that if you do end up having second thoughts about Naruto you should sort it out quickly before someone gets hurt."

"You're really not helping at all…" Sasuke huffed, pushing his bowl of soup away with a nauseated look before rubbing his face. "But I guess you're right."

"I'm being honest, but this is all I can do to help. It's your business, not mine."

"I know…, I'm glad Naruto and Neji went on that fucking mission together so I can get some rest. They won't be coming back until tomorrow afternoon, at least."

"Just pray that they don't end up killing each other," Kakashi mocked, picking up his chopsticks and resuming eating. "Maa, you should finish that; it'll be no good if you get sick."

"I'm already sick, my stomach is a mess." Sasuke complained.

"And you ordered Sake?"

"It helps me to relax, which is exactly what I need."

"What you need is to eat and do it quickly, I haven't got all day, you know?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Has your life become busy all of a sudden?"

"No, I have a date." Kakashi said proudly, making the younger one finally crack a small laugh.

"You?" Sasuke inquired, sarcastically. "Who could possibly be that desperate to go on a date with a lazy ass like you?"

"That, you shitty punk, is a secret. Now, finish your damn soup before I shove it down your throat."

oOo

"_According to Tsunade-sama, we are expected to meet the Kages and respective bodyguards at the borders of the Fire Country in about ten hours. Seeing as we left Konoha at the perfect time, I doubt there's any need to rush since we'll be there before the appointed hour, anyway. I have arranged a schedule so that all of our stops are timed. That way we won't lag behind for too long."_

That was the longest Naruto had heard Neji speak in the, nearly, seven hours they had been traveling together through the leafy forest that led their way to the border. After that, despite how much Naruto tried to make small talk, Neji would only reply back to what was absolutely essential to their performance as a team, leaving Naruto to wonder if the taller man really knew nothing about Sasuke and him.

Sure, the Hyuuga was neither the nicest, nor the most talkative person alive and when he was, he tended to be rather harsh and arrogant, but Naruto was used to it. It never really bothered him before.

But now, Neji was Sasuke's boyfriend and the blond Ninja knew he had to somehow make up for messing things up with his best friend, even if it meant a little bit of ass kissing, but luck was definitely not on Naruto's side nowadays.

Naruto had never dealt with Neji alone; there was always someone there with them and always something to talk about relating to the exciting missions they shared. Now, Naruto resented being all alone with him. The silence was more than awkward because the brown haired Jounin was either a much more difficult person to handle than Naruto had thought, or was purposefully being a pain in the ass just to make his life miserable.

The fact that Neji was seriously annoying the hell out of Naruto wasn't helping either. It seemed that the Hyuuga had it all figured out and was determined to be bossy all the way throughout the mission– he decided when they stopped to eat, when they stopped to rest, and when they stopped to relieve other physical necessities. He was the one who decided which way they should go and if they should walk, run or leap from tree to tree. Despite how much Naruto protested that he too was involved in the mission and had every right to make decisions as well, Neji defended that he was the one with the Byakugan, and that he knew best which way was the safest.

The Uzumaki boy had sulked and given up on trying to be friendly when Neji finally opened his mouth to actually start a conversation with him…about Sasuke.

Now, if Naruto thought about it he _had _been curious about Neji and Sasuke's relationship and how they managed to get along. He had wondered about how their routine as a couple was, had wondered about the sex. Wondering was way too different from actually getting to know things, and Naruto had already settled with himself that he absolutely did not wish to know anything that involved Sasuke's intimacy with Neji.

Neji, however, was of no kind heart since he had somehow decided it was a good move to open that pretty mouth of his to start telling him "The Amazing Tales of How Hyuuga and Uchiha Got Together", as Naruto secretly called it.

In a neutral, but formal tone, Neji told him everything.

Apparently, they had gotten drunk after Sasuke's first massive murdering mission and ended up having sex in Sasuke's apartment – on the sofa, mind you. By the awkwardness of it, Neji had immediately realized it had been Sasuke's first time. Things had gotten a little complicated between them from then on because neither wanted to talk about it. Eventually, the right mood settled more often than not and they ended up having sex a few more times out of sheer impulsiveness until they simply ended up in each other's arms because they, clearly, had some sort of infatuation going on between them.

Neji told Naruto about some of their conversations and purposefully – or so Naruto thought – made sure he mentioned every single situation they had sex in before trying for something serious. Naruto would have gladly skipped that part, especially because he wished he did not know those two had been physically intimate for so long. Even before they started dating, they had done _it _a lot of times and in a lot of fascinating places. Knowing that Neji was too proud to lie did not contribute to Naruto's discomfort.

What seemed like hours later; he was submitted to this very detailed description of how smoothly their relationship was going despite how similar their personalities were. Yes, sometimes they did fight over minimal things, but such matters tended to heat up the attraction they shared and were easy solved in bed…or wherever it was that would be convenient for them.

"You see, Naruto, if there is one thing I have learned from you is that people have to work hard for every relationship they have, because some people spend a lifetime without a person to hold dear," Neji was saying, walking calmly but firmly beside him. "Whether it's a lover, a family member or a friend, unless you sometimes give in and think about others instead of yourself, it'll never work out."

_Oh yeah, tell me about it._ Naruto thought bitterly. _Your boyfriend gave me quite the hard time._

"What I'm saying is," Neji continued, looking sideways at Naruto's attentive expression. "That Sasuke and myself have come a long way to get where we are right now. Even though, neither of us is exactly easy to deal with, I am doing the best I can, and so is he."

"Right," Naruto said, frowning. "I just don't see why you had the need to spill all this information to me."

Neji stopped walking at once and Naruto mimicked him. They looked at each other seriously in brief silence. On the sky above them, the sun was beginning to set and the hotness of the day was slowly fading into a soft warm breeze.

"I'm telling you all this because I know you haven't been taking this whole situation lightly," Neji explained as a new, colder tone took place in his voice. "I know it must be weird for you to know that your best friend is dating another man; I can even understand you must be hurt that he doesn't spend as much time with you anymore. But this is how things are and you either accept it or you don't. Are you a homophobe or something?"

"What? Me?" Naruto gasped, incredulously. "No! Never! I mean, I was a little shaken up by it at first, but that's not even an issue!"

"Then what is?" Neji snapped back, crossing his arms imposingly over his chest. "What gives you the right to possess the power to upset Sasuke so much? Do you have any idea how fucking angry he gets when the two of you fight? And yes, I know the two of you fought yesterday; I saw the bruise on his mouth."

The blond Shinobi was taken aback with such force he felt punched. Sasuke had been upset?

Of course he had, they had kissed, but still…

"That is a long story, and if he didn't tell you about it, then I don't feel the need to tell you either," He muttered, trying hard to keep his blood from flowing to his cheeks at the memory of the previous night. "We did fight, but we were both at fault. I got punched too, but since I'm a fast healer it's no longer visible."

"Is it because we are dating or is it something else?" Neji asked in a very straightforward manner that intimidated the other one slightly.

"It's…because of many things." Naruto said, sighing. "We were always like this; we fight for everything and nothing at all. I'm just going through a bad phase, that's all there is to it.

Neji watched him carefully, white, discerning eyes boring into sapphire blue ones like he was trying to stare straight into Naruto's very soul.

"I admire you, Naruto, but I really don't care what you think about this," Neji said, resolutely. "However, Sasuke does. He thinks highly of you even though he's too stubborn to say it. Everything you do or say affects him, and if he's in some sort of pain because of you, it's my duty to make sure he doesn't hurt."

Naruto looked back at Neji, blond eyebrows rising up slowly. Surprising himself, he felt his lips curve in a bittersweet smile.

"You _do_ like him," He noticed, unsure of what to feel about such a realization since he felt relieved that Sasuke had someone who cared for him, yet jealous and hesitant as well.

"Would I give myself the trouble of being in a relationship with him if I didn't?" was Neji's immediate answer, causing Naruto to smile more. He felt really stupid and powerless all of a sudden.

"I guess not," He nodded, shrugging and feeling somewhat defeated. "Just don't worry about it, okay? I just kept screwing up and he's not exactly the most tactful person alive, but I'll apologize as soon as we get back. I want things to be back to normal as much as you do. Now, can we please keep going? It'll be night soon and we have to pick up the Kages _and _find a suitable place to spend the night."

Neji nodded and the two proceeded on their way in heavy silence. They would take at least one more hour to get to the appointed location if they walked faster but they still had two hours before the time they were supposed to meet the Kages, so there was no need to run or go over the trees.

"You know," Neji said, breaking the ice while using a surprisingly softer tone. "I know Hinata-sama is very shy, but she is a very respectable woman, and she has loved you ever since I can remember."

Naruto cleared his throat, shivering slightly for some unknown reason and nodded again, not daring to say anything.

"I don't know much about love, but I know it's not simple," The brunet proceeded with a mutter, a pinkish color flooding his pale features. "I don't believe in love at first sight, but I do believe a person can have always loved another without knowing. Even so, I also believe love can be built with time, effort and dedication. I'm sure that, if you try, you can end up loving Hinata-sama as much as she loves you. Even if things aren't as perfect as they should be, love isn't perfect at all, so you just have to be patient and give her a chance."

"Yeah…" Naruto mumbled, noticing how Neji seemed suddenly all talkative, or maybe he was just eager to keep him out of his and Sasuke's way, something that he could sympathize with and understand since he was also experiencing the same feeling of possessiveness towards the Uchiha, though in a rather different level. "Thanks, Neji, I'll keep that in mind."

However, for the first time it was a promise Naruto did not know if he could keep since it would all depend on how his friendship with Sasuke would go from then on. He truly wanted to focus on his relationship with Hinata, but he knew his mind and his heart were incapable on focusing on too many things at the same time and right now, all Naruto saw and thought about was Sasuke.

Would they be able to make up? Would things change for better or for worse? Would Sasuke distance himself even more from him? Would they change the way they saw each other now that they had kissed? Would they feel differently towards each other?

Only time would tell. However, Naruto felt more than anxious to see the outcome.

oOo

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed surprised, rising from her seat at the desk of her medical office when the raven boy got in and slid the door close behind him.

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced; the receptionist told me you were free now." Sasuke said dispassionately.

"Er…yes, it's been a calm day," She said, smiling nervously while composing the white doctor's gown she was wearing over her clothes. "Please, do sit down!"

She gestured to the seat in front of the desk and waited for the man to sit before sitting once more.

"Are you feeling unwell?" She asked, immediately checking in her metallic drawer for her stethoscope. "You look a little pale, is it the heat?"

"No, I'm fine," He said, nodding negatively and smiling halfheartedly. "I was just wondering if you still have that drinking stuff you used to give me to sleep".

Her mint eyes focused on his dark ones worriedly. The corner of Sasuke's mouth was bruised, he looked extremely tired and by the slight wrinkle that was formed on his forehead, something was disturbing him, but the girl thought it would be better not to ask him about it.

"Is it insomnia again?"

"No. I just want to sleep earlier today, and since that medicine is made of natural products I prefer it over the pills I have at home. At least, I won't feel drowsy in the morning."

"Oh, alright then," She replied, astonished. "Early as in…eight o'clock?"

"Early as in getting in bed as soon as I get out of here to get home." He said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Sakura's mouth hanged open confusedly.

"Sasuke-kun, it's…three something in the afternoon," She noted, carefully.

"Yes, as good a time to sleep as any other time of the day," He defiantly said. "Will it let me sleep until morning?"

"I'm…not sure natural medicinal syrup will be able to make you sleep for so long," She babbled, looking over at the cabinet where she kept all sorts of medicines. "Let me just check what I have here…"

She stood up again with a predictable lack of elegance and went over to the cabinet as Sasuke crossed his leg abruptly and turned his head to the side to stare out the window on the left side of the office.

Sakura rummaged through all sorts of boxes containing chemical and non-chemical pills and powders, looking for something that might satisfy the Uchiha's more than peculiar request.

"May I inquire why you would want to sleep for so long?" She dared to ask, getting on the tips of her toes to reach the shelf with more powerful medicine.

"Yes, you may," Sasuke said casually but with obvious distaste and scorn. "My prodigious brain has decided to work tirelessly today, forcing me to think about things I don't want to think about, not until I inevitably have to think about them anyway. So, I want to shut it down before I get unnecessarily stressed out and end up breaking every breakable object I possess in my house."

"I…see…" was all Sakura could utter. So, he was indeed upset and it was serious enough for him to apparently be on the brink of an anxiety attack. What could possibly have caused such a thing? She wanted to ask him if he had had problems with Neji but refrained from doing so, for it might worsen Sasuke's mood.

"Considering how bad my temper can get, I think it's pretty coherent that I prefer to sleep."

"Yes…well, I do have some pills that are strong enough to put you to sleep for about fifteen hours at most," Sakura said, turning to Sasuke and shaking a small blue box of pills as she walked to her teammate's side. "Take only one today. If your insomnia gets back eventually, you can take this as well, but only half a pill, okay?"

"Whatever, I don't need the whole box, Sakura." He grumbled, getting up.

"Just keep it. That syrup I made you takes almost a month to do; at least you have something in case you need it." Sakura said determinedly. She shoved the box in Sasuke's hands and smiled gently. "Whatever it is that is upsetting you, you can always talk to me about it."

Sasuke pressed his lips together for a moment before smiling back just a little.

"You're a good friend, Sakura," He said, shoving the medicine in his left pocket. "But trust me; you don't want to know about my problems, not this one at least."

"Why don't you try me?" She said, hopefully, putting her hands behind her back so that the raven did not see how anxious they were. Sasuke blinked a few times at her tone.

"Sorry, but I can't. It's nothing, so there's really nothing to talk about. Thanks for this, I owe you."

Sasuke patted her cheek lightly in a way that could be considered affectionate coming from him, and yet, she did not feel his affection at all.

She wanted him to stay for a while longer, wanted to know what had disturbed him, wanted to, at least, be able to play the part of the friend she was.

And then it hit her. Neji and Naruto were away on a mission and the Uchiha had no best friend to brood about and no lover to keep him company. If she had ever thought the gods hated her, right now they were presenting her with the perfect opportunity to get closer to Sasuke now that he was alone. She wanted to gain his trust; she wanted him to willingly go to her for anything he needed. He wasn't really gay, right? He could still love someone other than Neji. Who knew if he would finally end up loving her if he was able to finally see the kind of good woman she could be for him?

She had spent so much time forcing her feelings on him, she had not seen she had done the wrong thing from the start.

"You're on vacation, right?" She asked, forcing herself to calm down the gush of prayers that was flooding her mind. "I have half the day off tomorrow, so I was wondering if you'd come and have lunch with me. I'll cook something for you; it's been a while since either you or Naruto have been over."

Sasuke seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding once, slowly.

"Sure, I'll be there," He accepted. "Just make sure Lee won't get jealous."

"Oh, please, my mother will be there! Don't say such things, Sasuke-kun!" She mocked, noticing how he instantly relaxed at the mention of her mother. Had he thought she would try something with him?

As the tall, stoic young man left, Sakura was so overjoyed by the chance she got, she spent the whole afternoon daydreaming, almost forgetting she had agreed to meet Lee at the end of the day.

Life was good and fate was, at last, being kind to her.

oOo

"My name is Terumi Mei, the Godaime Mizukage; these are my faithful guardians, Ao and Choujiro, and this young girl is the main priestess of the Water Country, Kirishima Haru."

Unlike Neji, whose face was as devoid of emotion as a porcelain doll's would be, Naruto was utterly fascinated by the astonishing beauty of the woman in front of the two of them. She was tall and amazingly elegant despite having the most fabulous curves – and the most spectacular set of breasts. Her brown reddish hair fell all the way to the back of her knees, and her eyes were a beautiful emerald color. When she smiled, she seemed like she was constantly trying to seduce somebody.

Naruto must have been staring at her with a rather disgruntled look because Ao – the eldest of her two bodyguards and the most intimidating – cleared his throat menacingly, waking up the blond from his trance.

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts but laughed stupidly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, so sorry," He apologized jovially, bowing down with clumsiness. "I am Uzumaki Naruto and this is my comrade, Hyuuga Neji. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

"Likewise…" The shy boy with light blue hair and glassed named Choujiro said, bowing as well in a nervous manner.

"The pleasure is all mine," The Mizukage said, eyeing both Naruto and Neji pleasingly as she –purposefully – arranged her dress' neckline. "My-my, Tsunade sent a pure-blooded Hyuuga to escort me? How thoughtful of her."

"Is the Kazekage late?" Ao, the man with an eye patch over his right eye inquired rudely. "The sun is almost completely set, and even though this is a quiet and reserved place, we should find shelter as soon as possible; we have been traveling for a long time and the Godaime is tired."

"I'm sure he'll arrive soon," Naruto replied, smile disappearing instantly at the man's arrogant tone. He was quickly beginning to dislike the weirdo already. "Maybe, you should put down your luggage until then and let the Mizukage sit down."

"Oh, forgive my lack of consideration!" Choujiro exclaimed, hurriedly removing the rectangular backpack from his back and placing it on the ground behind the Mizukage, who smiled sympathetically at him.

"Don't worry about me, silly boy, I am more than fine!" She admonished.

"I am sorry, Mizukage-sama, but we were informed that you were bringing two more people with you," Neji intervened with a dry but polite drawl. "Yet, you also brought a girl the Hokage might not be expecting."

Naruto then finally noticed the girl Terumi-Sama had been talking about, the one called Kirishima Haru. She was quiet and small, looked about Neji's age and was wearing a simple dark red Kimono. She was pretty enough, with round features, gorgeous almond eyes and long, curly light brown hair that reached the end of her spine. More than pretty she was cute, like a little cuddly doll. She smiled passively at Neji, who did not seem to notice it.

"Yes, Hyuuga-san, I am aware of that," The Mizukage said delicately, taking a seat on Choujiro's backpack despite her previous words and crossing her legs femininely while winking at Neji, who clearly struggled not to grimace. "Haru is an important asset to the Water Country, so I thought I should surprise Tsunade by bringing her and making a rather valuable proposition that does not concern you."

"I am sorry for the intromission." Haru said respectfully, moving over to stand beside the Mizukage, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and presenting Naruto with a big, almost intimate smile. Surprised, he noticed she acted shy but had an air of covert confidence. While she looked innocent enough, something about those deep eyes was too farsighted, like the eyes of a wise old woman, and it captured the blonde's attention like a magnet.

The girl was looking at him the way someone who knew him for a long time would.

"How are we going to solve this?" Neji asked, finally turning to Naruto for answers. "If the girl is not expected they might not let her inside the village."

"It's fine, Neji, I'll send a message to Baa-chan through Gamakichi so that they'll be expecting everyone." Naruto said, not wasting time and biting down on his thumb, drawing blood. He squatted before easily performing the summoning Jutsu without really noticing that everyone decided to watch him with great interest. Gamakichi came right away, said a few bad humored "hellos" and patiently listened to what Naruto needed of him. Promising to return as soon as he had talked with the Hokage, he vanished.

When Naruto straightened up he noticed Neji had his Byakugan activated and was scanning the area, probably looking for any signs of the Kazekage or even any apparent danger they might have missed.

"I feel sorry for the Kage of the sand, having to take such a detour just to meet all of us here at this specific border," The Mizukage commented casually, taking off her Kage hat and placing it perfectly over her lap. "I mean, you did make things easier for us since we came by sea. But we still had to take a detour since the currents were rather unfavorable."

"Yeah, I guess it would be easier to come from Suna and stop by the south-westward border, but since we had to pick you and them and bring you to Konoha safely, it was better to meet here, by the southeastern border." Naruto explained, rubbing his nose thoughtfully.

"Well, they were still the ones who had to take the longest trip to get all the way down here," Choujiro said, smiling shyly. "I do feel kind of sorry for them."

"They're coming," Neji informed with his back to them, looking straight ahead to the wide forest they were immersed in. "And I didn't expect _him _to be the Kazekage."

"Heh? You see them? Who is he?" Naruto asked curiously, looking over Neji's shoulder to try to see something, but to no avail since the landscape was too dense.

"You'll see." The Hyuuga said, smiling mischievously at him and turning to the rest of the group still with the Byakugan on. "We should be getting ready; we'll be leaving this spot as soon as the Kazekage arrives."

Neji's eyes stopped when they accidentally gazed at the oldest man of the group. His smile disappeared in a flash as his brow furrowed deeply. Ao did nothing but raise an arrogant, superior eyebrow at him, but Naruto sensed the immediate imperceptible tension that settled between them.

"That is a convenient accessory you've got there," The brown haired young man said, almost venomously, pointing at Ao's patch. "I would keep it on in Konoha if I were you. I am rather benevolent of old conflicts, but some of my kind may not be so forgiving."

Ao stared at Neji defiantly but did not reply back to his semi-threat. Naruto did not know what his companion was talking about and even though he was curious about it, he feared that it might be dangerous considering they were dealing with the Mizukage of a village that was once Konoha's enemy. He would remember to ask Neji about it later though.

"Such a fierce character for such a young age," The Mizukage observed, laughing slightly and staring intently at Neji. "I do tend to like assertive and attractive men like you."

"As flattered as I am, I'm already spoken for." Neji grumbled, huffing and clearly trying to keep his bad temper in control.

"Really? Such a pity."

The blond Jounin was feeling slightly alienated by then, not liking one bit the murderous look on Neji's eyes and the fact that he did not know what was going on.

He was promptly going to open his mouth to try and lighten the mood when an unfamiliar presence appeared at his side.

"It's the Byakugan," came the whispered, soft and enticing voice of Haru, the Priestess. Naruto looked at her and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her sudden proximity. To him, she was the tiniest girl he had ever met since the top of her head reached the spot slightly above his shoulder. "Ao has it under that patch and I'm sure Hyuuga-san has seen it."

"Ah…, I see," He muttered, observing her gentle features. Haru then put a small, delicate hand on his arm and squeezed it carefully. When she spoke, her unexpected words shook Naruto to the core.

"I hope we can get along, Uzumaki-san," She said, almost complacently, like a mother would. "We have to or else your fate will be even more merciless that it already is. But I guess it'll be fine, you've already been through so much as it is. Also…"

She stood on the tips or her toes as she pulled his arm down. Utterly perplexed but unable to not do as she wanted, he leaned down and allowed her to lean over to whisper in his ear.

"That boy who was the first thing that flashed through your mind when I looked through it…I have known him all my life, just like I know you."

With that, she beamed at him once more before letting go and returning to her place next to a very abnormally cheerful Mizukage.

Naruto for his part did not have the time to even think too much about what that freaky girl had told him because the bushes behind them shivered with the announcement that someone was coming and obviously, meeting the Kazekage was a much higher priority in his mind.

Six heads turned simultaneously to the three newcomers as they emerged from the ever growing shadows of the trees as night approached. The Kazekage was only a little smaller than him and was wearing his Kage hat that covered the upper half of his face. But the blond did not need to see said face, because even with new clothes he knew that chakra signature all too well and definitely knew the two Shinobi that accompanied him: Temari and Kankurou.

When the Kazekage's head was raised and Naruto's blue eyes met with pale sea green, his heart almost dropped all the way down to his feet. His voice seemed to be stuck inside his throat but, eventually, he managed to regain it.

"G-Gaara?" He yelled, pointing his shaking finger at the man. "What the fuck?"

"Nice to see you too, you big mouthed buffoon." Temari groaned, smirking openly at his reaction.

"Hello there," Gaara greeted calmly in his usual neutral tone. "Uzumaki Naruto."

His life – Naruto thought, too dumbfounded to find the heart to make a coherent remark – had never been so unbelievingly weird.


	7. Chapter Six: Epiphany

**A/N**: Once again, thank you so much to my lovely beta, **chase3136**!

Also, thank you to those who reviewed with your words of encouragement! I hope this chapter pleases you all!

As always, **don't forget to review.** It's sooooo nice to read what you guys have to say ;)

Any personal questions you might have, please PM me.

The title of this song was inspired by the song "Epiphany" from an amazing band called 'Staind'. Do check out the song at youtube, it's really beautiful.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: Epiphany<strong>

The night was quiet and intensified the odors of the greens around the small camp they had improvised. A mild breeze danced around the area, causing the leaves of the trees to shiver ever so slightly above them. Considering**,** they were only a few miles away from the sea, they had been lucky the weather had remained favorable there, since that zone was known for unstable winds and unexpected precipitation.

Naruto was feeling rather thankful they had not needed to assemble tents. It was warm enough, and even both Kages had agreed it was more practical to just lie down on their sleeping bags and be ready to go as soon as the sun got up. Naruto, Neji and the remaining body guards had arranged so that each one could keep watch, and since there were six of them, they decided to change shifts every hour or so.

Naruto had done the first shift and by now they should be on their third**,** which meant Kankurou was supposed to be keeping watch at that moment.

Lying on his back inside his own sleeping bag, Naruto – who was finding it really hard to fall asleep – was staring at nothing in particular in the semi-darkness of the area, noticing how leafy the trees were and wishing they weren't, so that he could see the stars; if there were even any.

He was wide awake, and even though he thought it would do him good to sleep, his body and his mind were full of energy with the anxiousness of getting back to Konoha. The blond was ecstatic with everything that had been happening lately and could not put his mind to rest.

He wanted to see Sasuke, make things right once and for all and try to make something of his new found feelings for the Uchiha. He knew he felt something different for him, but did not know why or its depth. He had to deal with whatever it was that he was feeling and the sooner he understood it, the sooner he would know what to do with it and how to react.

Despite his previous talk with Neji, he was not feeling like he wanted to step away at all, quite the contrary – he wanted to explore it, embrace it and enjoy it. That feeling was painful, made his heart ache and his stomach contort in a funny way, but he had never felt anything as intense. He wanted to cherish it for as long as it lived. This need made him feel guilty because Neji wanted Sasuke, wanted to make it work with him. Also, Naruto had Hinata; someone who loved him and had done nothing to suffer through his current emotional conflicts.

Sighing, the blond closed his eyes, trying hard to stop his mind from replaying his kiss with his best friend. It was easier said than done, because he kept remembering how Sasuke's lips had felt over his, his taste, and how soft that porcelain skin had been underneath his fingers.

_Stop thinking about it, you'll probably never get the chance to do it again…_

That weird girl, Haru… What the hell did she meant that she knew him and Sasuke? And _how _on earth did she manage to read his mind? Not possible. She might be a Priestess, but their job was to speak to the Kami and know all sorts of forbidden incantations and seals. Naruto heard that some of them were healers and even had visions about the future, but mind reading? That was just impossible. He was so going to check her out when they got to the village…

Then, there was Gaara.

Ah, a safer topic to think about, at last.

Gaara, who was a Jinchuuriki, and the new Kage of Sunagakure.

Naruto had met Gaara many times already after the incident when he helped them get Sasuke back. The red haired boy and his team had been to Konoha a few more times after that, and Naruto and his own team had been to Suna as well. They had even had one or two missions together concerning the Akatsuki when Sasuke had been searching for his brother, which meant that they were familiar enough not to get uncomfortable with each other.

Naruto had actually liked Gaara from the first time he had met him and known he was a Jinchuuriki as well. Now that the boy was calmer, more benevolent and merciful, they had gotten along just fine because they had a lot in common. Gaara was the kind of dissimulated smart person Shikamaru was and always seemed to know the right thing to say about everything; if there was a calm, quiet person Naruto enjoyed, it was him because somehow, Naruto could always see though him and understand his actions.

He had been surprised Gaara had become Kazekage, but…somehow it made sense, and he was proud of him and of himself. He had made it so that Gaara's heart changed and now he was a Kage, willing to protect his village and his people, forgetting his hatred and the pain they had put him through. It was amazing that he had worked so hard to go from "Implacable Murderer" to be considered for such a high position. It was a beautiful thing to witness. It made Naruto want to work harder to achieve his dreams even faster.

The bronzed male stretched protractedly and raised himself to sit up. At the dim light of the single oil lamp they had brought, he could see the many figures of his temporary companions sleeping peacefully. Someone was snoring softly but Naruto did not bother to see who it was. It was then he felt the heavy weight of being watched and turned his head to see who it was**,** to meet the pale greenish eyes of Gaara from across the camp. The other boy was sitting very straight in a tree trunk, also wide awake as he held a metallic mug in his hands.

Naruto smiled at him and the other simply nodded. How could he have forgotten that Gaara did not sleep?

Getting up carefully, he made his way to him as he avoided the resting bodies on the ground. Once he reached his goal, he sat down heavily beside the Kazekage and sighed dramatically.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Gaara asked neutrally, in a low whisper so as to not wake up the others.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed in an equal low voice, accepting the mug he passed him. "Had I remembered you did not sleep I would've kept you company from the beginning."

The red haired simply shrugged in a rather relaxed way but said nothing. Naruto took a sip of the hot drink Gaara had offered him and realized it was tea, although he could not identify what kind it was.

The two sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying the breeze and the silence of each other's company until Gaara finally spoke.

"It's been a while since we last met." he said, matter-of-factly, looking over at his companion without expression.

"I guess so…" Naruto muttered, smiling slightly at him. "How long has it been? A whole year?"

"Something like that." Gaara agreed, nodding carefully.

"Gosh…and now you're the Kazekage!" the blond commented, smiling more broadly. "Life really plays tricks on you when you least expect it."

"Indeed." Green eyes stared into blue ones that looked almost black in the night. "Did it upset you?"

Naruto's eyebrows rose up disbelievingly as he let out a loud laugh, and almost immediately covered his mouth with his free hand to stop the outburst. Gaara, for his part, seemed as curious and bemused as his neutral features could show.

"Are you kidding? It's great!" Naruto muttered**, **lowering his voice once more as Neji moved a little restlessly in his sleep. "I'm really glad you made it, it makes me really happy and gives me even more motivation to become Hokage myself."

"Yet, you seem troubled." the other pointed out, reaching for his mug and taking it away from Naruto's hands. "There's something in your chakra that lets me know you're feeling uneasy about something."

Naruto's smile subsided considerably but he did not allow himself to let it disappear. He had forgotten that, after getting to know Gaara a little more intimately, somehow the demons they had inside one another seemed to send signals to let the other know the level of the chakra signature of their bearers. It wasn't something that made them more intimate, but it certainly helped them to understand each other's feelings better, and that was how Naruto had learned how to read Gaara's emotions even when he showed nothing on his face.

"That's got nothing to do with you," he said, simply. "I'm just a little…well, a lot of things happened this last year, and even more in these last few weeks."

"Like what?" Gaara seemed genuinely interested now, but Naruto just shifted a little and sighed.

"Oh, you'll see when you get to Konoha," he said, a little sarcastically. "Even if you don't _see_ it I'm sure you'll _hear about it._"

The red haired seemed to understand his friend was not too keen on letting him know what was concerning him, so he dropped the subject and opted to remain silent, which made Naruto wonder if he had been rude in the way he had said it.

Feeling a little guilty, he punched Gaara's arm ever so slightly**,** in a friendly way**,** so as to not awaken the power of the protective sand he held within the gourd he still carried everywhere.

"So, it's really good to see you." he said, meaning it but truly hoping his tone sounded as truthful as he wanted.

"It's nice to see you too." Gaara replied, politely but firmly, unblinking eyes observing him attentively.

"Will you stay with us for long?" Naruto asked.

"As long as I'm required to," Gaara took a sip of the tea before passing it to Naruto once more. "There are a lot of political strategies to be debated, a lot of contracts to be made. I am not a substitute Kage for anyone, so I have to actually have a deep insight of how things are with your village and decide what we can do to help it, and what I need that the village might have to help me with. So**,** I think I'll be around for a while."

"Good," Naruto assented, resuming his wide grinning. "I've been having a lot of work recently, but we should definitely hang out whenever you're free. I'll take a whole day off if I have to."

Gaara stared at him with those vague, penetrating and intimidating eyes but Naruto knew all too well that the other Jinchuuriki was surprised by the offer. And more than surprised, his chakra was now bubbling with gentle satisfaction.

"That would be nice," he muttered, nodding once before looking up to the roof of trees above them. "I wish the leafage wasn't so dense. I heard the stars shone brightly near the sea, but this is rather disappointing."

Naruto blinked several times while gazing at Gaara's delicate but daunting profile, noticing how somehow, in quiet moments like these, he seemed so much more approachable and easy-going. Naruto knew Gaara had changed and yet, he himself was one of the rare people that could claim to get inside the new Kazekage's walls easily enough. Gaara was still feared by many**,** and still feared people's reactions to him and deep emotions. It was a pity, though, Naruto thought. Gaara was quite attractive and could look absolutely innocent if one knew how to make him drop his guard.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Naruto said, unconsciously staring at Gaara's forehead were the Kanji for "love" was tattooed.

_Love…_

Would someone like Gaara ever really learn how to love a person? Would somebody ever have the heart to look through him and fall in love with him?

Ah, he was just thinking too damn much about that whole love shit again…

oOo

Lunch at the Haruno's could have been an enjoyable experience**,** if Sasuke had not noticed Sakura's excessive efforts to impress him or her mother's attempts at being sympathetic towards his being 'gay'. The older woman had always been cheerful and nice to him, but apparently she was not very happy that her daughter had been rejected over another man.

_I mean, what could a handsome, influential man like you find so special in another male? _She had asked, falsely interested. _I mean, I see what could attract you to Hyuuga-kun, but if you say you're not gay, then that means you can still turn your attention to women, right? When you do, please consider a girl who cares for you. You do know Sakura would make a fine spouse, right? She may look a little careless, being a Kunoichi and all, but she does know how to be the perfect housewife._

After that**,**she had kept going on and on about the joys of marriage and the good points of having a female lover, not to mention the amount of times she mentioned how amazing and talented Sakura was – something Sasuke could not understand since Sakura already had a boyfriend.

The young medic had been terribly embarrassed about the whole thing and apologized to him when he was about to leave, but Sasuke was more than happy to get on his way to his meeting with the Hokage because he did not need another thing to make him feel more guilty and confused about his life.

Not that he was confused. Even if he had never been with a woman**,**he knew he did not feel repulsed by them, reason why he did not consider himself gay. However, if he were to be honest with himself, at least**,** he was fairly sure that he liked being with Neji and that his body reacted well enough to one of another man's. Maybe it was just a phase, or maybe he really was bisexual. Or maybe he really was gay. After all, he had kissed Naruto, liked it, too, and it had excited him.

_Did I feel that way because he is a guy? _Sasuke had wondered, many times since the event. _Or was it because it was _**_him_**_?_

Naruto had always been important to him. He had always made him feel things he had never felt with anyone. He made him laugh when no one else could, made him angry, got under his skin, and pushed him to the limit. Still, they were rivals and best friends who got on each other's nerves. They fought, bickered and hated each other as much as they cared about one another. Going from that to some sort of mutual physical attraction was devastating and Sasuke did not know what to do, because even though he and Neji had "chemistry" going on between them, the new found "chemistry" that had drawn him to Naruto had been equally intense, but so very different that it had been alarming. There had been feelings there, but which, Sasuke did not know. The only thing he knew was that his thirteen hour sleep had been filled with unexpected fantasies of blond hair, a whiskered face and blue eyes that gleamed in the dark.

But well, none of that mattered when it came to Sakura since he never intended on dating her and doubted he ever would, gay or not gay.

000

"I really think you did a great job with planning all of this, Sasuke," Tsunade said at the end of the day, golden eyes shining appreciatively when Sasuke was standing beside the large chair she was sitting on, pointing at the papers where he himself had designed the plan for the orphanage and for what he wanted to do with his house. "I'm glad you have it all figured out, it saves the council and the Daimyo a lot of trouble. It's brilliant."

"Now that you mention it, I have also brought the papers with the proposal for the Daimyo," Sasuke said, checking inside his black briefcase for the large amount of paperwork he had brought with him. "I mean, I've been doing some research and there are no orphanages in the fire country or in most of the surrounding villages. If the Daimyo will allow it, we can make contracts with other villages that are interested. They pay a small monthly tax to help finance the orphanage and we give them free pass to deliver parentless children to our village. Then**,** there will be other things we will need to discuss further since these children will not belong to Konoha and will eventually have to return to their own villages**,**but…"

The door creaked open and Shizune's dark head appeared, causing the two occupants of the large office to look at her.

"I am sorry, Tsunade-sama**.** But Naruto-kun and Hyuuga-san are back with the Kages and respective bodyguards." the slim woman said, in a low voice.

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Naruto's name but he did not react to it. He had expected to be home by the time they arrived, he really wasn't ready to face him – or Neji – yet.

"They're earlier than I expected," Tsunade said, voicing Sasuke's thoughts with a heavy sigh as she arranged the confusion of papers on her desk. "Is that uninvited girl here as well?"

"She is." Shizune confirmed.

"Well, do send them in!" Tsunade groaned, cracking her knuckles. "And make sure their quarters are ready for them when they wish to retreat. And Sasuke…" she turned her head to the man on her right when Shizune's head disappeared, smiling apologetically. "This proposal is wonderful, I'm sure it will be approved since you found more than one way to go through with it in an affordable way. I will debate this with the council, and will contact you before sending it to the Daimyo."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Sasuke said, professionally. "If there is anything else you need of me…"

The door opened once more with a screechy sound and a lot of people came in: first, a beautiful tall woman, then her two minions, then a young girl. After them, Sasuke was surprised to find Gaara coming in with his Kazekage hat on, followed closely by Kankurou and Temari. Only then, did Naruto come in, looking rather tired with his large backpack on his shoulders, and then Neji, looking as fresh and composed as always.

"Ah, my fellow Kages!" Tsunade exclaimed in a good mood, getting up and going to them to greet them. "Terumi! Gaara-kun, congratulations…"

Sasuke watched as introductions were made and murmurs filled the office. He wanted to leave but knew that now, having two Kages in the same room, it would be impolite to do so.

He crossed his arms as he and Neji exchanged looks. Neji nodded once and Sasuke smiled a little. Then**,** his eyes shifted towards his teammate and met Naruto's. The younger one stared at him for a while with raised eyebrows, his mouth opened, and Sasuke just had to snicker at that too. Naruto looked so unbelievably stupid and surprised it was hilarious.

Noticing Sasuke was silently making fun of him, Naruto closed his mouth and pressed his lips together, averting his eyes and blushing violently, leaving the Uchiha wondering if he should find it pathetic or just plain endearing.

_Endearing? _Sasuke internally cringed, the realization erasing the smirk from his lips. _What the fuck?_

"You did not introduce us to this lovely young man, Tsunade."

Sasuke blinked and noticed he was being watched by the woman that was, in fact, the Mizukage.

"Well, he already knows Gaara," Tsunade said, seeming rather amazed that Sasuke was still in the room. "But it was my bad, I apologize. Terumi, Ao and Choujiro, this here is…."

"Uchiha Sasuke." A gentle voice said.

All heads turned to the little girl behind the Mizukage, but only those of the water country did not look surprised at her sudden intervention.

"The last of his bloodline, but not the only owner of the Sharingan," she kept on, brown eyes innocently fixed on Sasuke's. "Remarkable brains, Uzumaki-san's teammate, and Hyuuga-san's lover and partner in ANBU. Nice to meet you, I'm Kirishima Haru, main Priestess of the Water Country."

This time, it was Sasuke who felt his chin drop. When the girl smiled, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

She looked familiar, yet he was sure he had never seen her before in his life. He looked at Neji, who seemed as flabbergasted as he was, but the Hyuuga shrugged as if to let him know he had not said a word to her about them.

Gaara did not react to the news but was watching him closely. Ao and Kankurou made dissimulated disgusted faces while Temari seemed a little horrified. Not that it mattered to Sasuke anyway.

"Well, aren't you something…?" Tsunade commented, looking vaguely displeased, receiving an adorable smile from Haru.

"Ah, so this is the famous Uchiha," The Mizukage said, smiling observantly at him with a pleased expression. "My, you have some lovely men in your village, Tsunade. Hyuuga-san's lover, then? It's not something that can't be changed, is it?"

_What the hell is this crazy woman talking about? _Sasuke thought, uncrossing his arms and feeling absolutely mortified by the path the conversation was taking.

"I'm sorry, Terumi, as nice as this little chat is, we do have to settle you in, and I'm sure Sasuke has other matters he needs to attend to." Tsunade muttered. From what the Uchiha could see, she had become immediately suspicious of the girl. "Please, Sasuke, go on your way."

"Er…yes, Hokage-sama. Nice seeing you, Gaara, Kankurou, Temari. Nice meeting everyone else." He said, regaining his composure and bowing. Then, he remembered his conversation with Kakashi and breathed in deeply. It was no use delaying things; it would not help him or Naruto, so he had to stick to the plan. "Naruto, can I have a word with you outside?"

Naruto had the air of someone who had just been punched in the stomach but nodded slowly, still blushing deeply.

"Sure."

oOo

Sasuke was certain he would feel awkward the moment he confronted Naruto face to face again. What he did not expect, though, was to find that Naruto's own awkwardness was of such proportions that the brunet had no time whatsoever to feel anything but amused…and a little annoyed.

Naruto was blushing more than ever, breathing heavily, hands nervous as he fumbled with the zipper on his green vest. He was sweating and it was clear that he was only stubbornly holding Sasuke's intense gaze to prove something that the Uchiha was not sure what it was.

It was damn funny and a little flattering, too.

"So…**,** you want to have dinner with me, at my place?" Sasuke asked simply, once they were in the hall outside Tsunade's office, facing each other.

Blue eyes widened at him disbelievingly.

"I…really?" Naruto questioned**,** his tone a mix of excitement and uncertainty**,** eyes becoming huge.

"Yes, really," Sasuke muttered. He was trying hard not to remember what had happened the last time they had been alone but it was a little difficult with his friend behaving like some damsel who had had her first kiss with her prince charming.

"But… What about Neji?" Naruto whispered, chewing on his upper lip like a lost child.

"I'll hang out with him for a bit, take him to the compound and…stuff," Sasuke explained, keeping his voice as steady and casual as he could, and ignoring the fact that his palms were sweating. "It's not like we always have to be at each other's houses."

Naruto was tense; Sasuke could feel it more than he could see it. He was debating on something, fighting an internal emotional conflict. His eyes revealed how much he wanted to accept the invitation, but his body language gave away his uncertainty.

It was extremely baffling how much his attitude affected Sasuke's nerves and, more importantly, his hormones.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea, Sasuke…" He replied, leaning against the wall and scratching his right arm. "I mean..."

"Shut up."

"What?"

Sasuke stuffed his hand inside the left pocket of his jeans and took out his house keys. Grabbing Naruto's hand and turning the palm upwards, he put them there and closed the blonde's fingers around it, pretending he did not notice the brief spasm he felt there at his touch.

"Don't be an ass and just take it," he said, huffing with impatience and making sure that once his hand was no longer touching Naruto's, they were once more at a decent distance from each other. "Go to my house, take a shower or something and wait for me. You know where my clothes are, you know where the food is. I bought instant _ramen_**;** we can have it for dinner."

The look on the blonde's face was priceless but Sasuke did not want to take the time to decipher what it really meant.

"Sasuke…but I…after what happened I don't think…"

"Let's not talk about it," Sasuke interrupted, coldly. "It happened and that's final. Talking will only make this situation worse than it already is."

Naruto swallowed with obvious resentment but shook his head in affirmation.

"Alright," he whispered. "If that's what you want."

_It's not, really._

Sasuke sighed. Things were becoming too damn hard and he did not know why.

"Let's just…try and get things back the way they were before," the Uchiha murmured**;** his voice gentler. "There's no point in making it more awkward than it already is. We'll…see how things will go between us from now on, ok?"

Naruto closed his eyes briefly and inhaled before opening them again to look at him, his expression less moody and more confident.

"Alright," he said, slowly. "What time will you be home?"

"Maybe a little before seven. You still have some time to visit Hinata if you want. Just make sure you're home by the time I get there."

"Right, I will."

"Now**,** get back in there, you still have to report about the mission. And tell Neji I'll be waiting for him outside."

oOo

Naruto wanted to want to visit his girlfriend badly. However, the desire didn't come because, truth be told, he did not want to visit her at all, not when he had Sasuke's house keys in his hand for the first time ever, not when Sasuke had so willingly invited him over. It was too good to be true, so the only reasonable thing his mind was ordering him to do at the moment was to go over to Sasuke's place immediately and forget any meetings or plans he could have had.

He didn't feel himself walking all the way there, nor the heavy weight of his backpack since he felt like he had no feet and his body was soaring. It was the strangest of feelings, knowing every step he took towards his destination was also a step towards Sasuke and whatever it was that was going to become of them from then on. Although**,** he was not expecting anything extraordinary – by the way things had gone over the last few weeks**,** he would be happy enough to at least get their old friendship back –, he could not help but wonder if, for some prodigious reason, things would change between them…for the best, hopefully, whatever that meant.

Sasuke's house was impeccably clean and tidy as usual, and everything was exactly as Naruto remembered, except for the extra toothbrush he saw in the bathroom when he went to take a bath, and the unfamiliar clothes he found in Sasuke's wardrobe afterwards.

_No big deal, _he thought decidedly, ignoring the nervous twitch in his eyebrow. The blonde's mood lit up when he found the three pairs of the boxers Sasuke had once purposefully bought for him to have there. He picked up one that was red, grabbed a clean white t-shirt and a pair of black sport pants, thankful that he and Sasuke were about the same built.

Moving on to the kitchen, he occupied himself in trying to find something light to eat while he waited for his teammate. He was finally having that feeling again, like he was home – Sasuke's home. He was wearing Sasuke's clothes, with Sasuke's scent lingering all over them, and it was so amazingly reassuring that Naruto had to keep himself from bringing the fabric of the t-shirt he was wearing to his nose in order to smell it.

When the brunet got home, Naruto opened the door for him and the awkwardness was more than palpable as the minutes went by. They exchanged a few necessary words, Sasuke muttering that he was also going to take a bath, Naruto saying he was going to make _ramen _for them in the meanwhile.

A few minutes later**,** the Uchiha emerged from the bathroom, hair wet and wearing a black top and the same shorts he was wearing when he had been with Naruto two days ago. They set the table together, exchanged a few phrases before sitting down and starting to eat. Naruto was deadly nervous, not really knowing what to say or how to act, so for the first time**,** he ate in slow motion, watching carefully as Sasuke did the same, trying hard not to stare too much because he realized he was unconsciously appreciating every gesture he made.

When Sasuke made eye contact**,**he almost spit the noodles back into the package.

A black eyebrow rose with wonder as Naruto's cheeks became tainted in red. Sasuke sighed softly and started talking. His tone was soft but neutral as he asked him about the mission and how things went, which helped Naruto to sober up by immediately recognizing his friend's attempt to lighten the mood and make conversation.

It was not like Naruto wanted to complain about Neji, it was just that he had nothing spectacular to tell, really, so he told Sasuke how Neji had been all authoritative all through the mission, always wanting to outshine him, always playing the part of the insufferable prick. This made Sasuke smile for some reason and Naruto wondered if it was because he was thinking about Neji being a prick or because Neji was being bad mouthed and since the blond preferred feeling superior instead of feeling jealous, he chose option two.

Then, he told Sasuke about how Neji decided to tell him all about their relationship. Sasuke, for his part, did not look surprised or embarrassed; he just nodded or rolled his eyes when Naruto told him something he was probably not supposed to know but did not mention anything else and Naruto was thankful that he was just that decent. Afterwards, they commented on Gaara being the new Kazekage and on the weird girl called Haru, the one that knew Sasuke's name and told Naruto she knew the both of them. Sasuke actually laughed at that and dismissed whatever hesitation Naruto had.

As the conversation became more casual, they managed to regain some of their old intimacy back easily enough, as though the fact that they were simply hanging out like they used to was enough to make everything go back to what it had always been. The only exception was that Naruto's heart beat faster every time Sasuke smiled, moved or even flinched and that he was painfully aware of the other boy like he had never been.

But he ignored all of it just like he had ignored so many things that had made him feel bad lately. Right now, he was happy he could be there with his friend, socializing like they used to. Nothing else mattered and he just had to focus on that – and believe it too. They were both acting like nothing had changed, and still Sasuke had Neji and Naruto had Hinata, and they had kissed and that was a constant thought in the blonde's mind whenever he gazed at Sasuke's mouth, the one that had felt so incredible against his.

However, it was proving to be more difficult than he had expected because Sasuke just had to tell him about what he had been planning to do about the Uchiha Compound, matterhe had been discussing with the Hokage when they had arrived.

He was aghast that Sasuke wanted to tear it down to give in to Naruto's idea of building an orphanage. For some reason, it was too…something…to be real. He did not even know what to think of it or how to feel.

"…and I've already told Tsunade-sama that I will want a little more land around my parents' house since I want to rebuild some parts of it and expand it," Sasuke was saying, long after they had eaten and cleaned everything. He was leaning against the counter – something Naruto knew he enjoyed – and was waving his right hand with a cigarette between his slender fingers as he spoke. "She says I should check all the houses to see if I can find something valuable, like Uchiha traditional artifacts or important scrolls, and as soon as everything is cleared, she'll start with the demolition plans."

The younger man was still sitting at the table, listening to every word Sasuke uttered, barely noticing he was staring with the most stupefied look ever, but feeling absolutely infatuated and unable to avoid it.

Sasuke was going to tear down his clan's compound. Konoha would have an orphanage. Contemptuous Sasuke; with his pose like he did not care. Sasuke, who was actually so fucking sexy it hurt. Sasuke, who was, indeed, one of the most beautiful people Naruto had ever seen. Sasuke's mouth, Sasuke's voice, Sasuke's home, Sasuke's gestures, Sasuke's…

No, Naruto thought. They were making up. Things would be back to normal and Naruto knew he had to _not _think about what had happened between them and _not_ want to talk about it. Neji had said Sasuke thought highly of him; that was more than great and it was enough, or at least it should be.

Then**,** why couldn't he just accept it and be content like he had sworn himself he would be? Why did he still have that weird feeling inside him, that thing that moved him and pulled him towards his best friend?

Was Sasuke not affected by it at all? He had been the one to initiate the kiss, could it really have just been something to test him? Was it really all it had been? Had Sasuke really not felt anything at all? Had he been turned on just because it was a natural reaction?

Not _knowing_ was driving Naruto crazy. It would be impossible for him to go on, living day by day without knowing what it had been, what had not been or what could have been. He could ruin everything again, but not knowing suddenly was not an option.

Sasuke was _there_. They had been so unbelievably close it seemed disastrous that they had to draw apart again. If Sasuke turned him down…well, at least he would get the answers to his questions and would finally have a valid reason to apologize.

Sasuke was still saying things Naruto had stopped listening to ages ago. The Uchiha was either purposefully ignoring him and his growing anxiety or was just plain oblivious, so Naruto just waited for him to finish his cigarette and put it out on the ashtray he had been holding in his other hand before getting up and going to him.

Sasuke set down the ashtray on the counter behind him, apparently not taking much notice of the fact that his friend had gotten up and was clenching and unclenching his fists in front of him, but Naruto – who was shaking with pure apprehensiveness and yearning – was simply too tired of his casualness and did not want to deal with it anymore.

He didn't want to think about Neji and Hinata, did not want to consider what was and wrong or right at that moment. Morals and all questions of "why" and "what ifs" didn't matter because, if there was one thing the blond boy was absolutely sure of right then**,** it was that he wanted Sasuke, wanted to get him to react to him and definitely wanted them to respond to each other in many different ways.

Deciding it was a terrible time to think at all, and feeling incredibly thankful for the impulsiveness that never allowed him to lose courage when he needed it the most; he stared straight into Sasuke's calm but observant eyes before quickly grabbing him by the waist and pressing his mouth forcefully to his, causing the other young man to gasp.

Unlike the first time, where they had kissed softly and tentatively, this time there was no such thing as sweetness. As Naruto pressed himself to Sasuke, bringing their bodies together as much as he could, he kissed his companion ferociously, urging him to kiss him back, and even though the Uchiha seemed slightly taken aback for a few moments, he did not take too long to willingly open his mouth to receive him and kiss back as enthusiastically. There was the taste of ramen and orange juice and cigarettes flowing between them.

When Sasuke put his arms around his neck to hold him close, Naruto was sure he could have lost himself over and over again in everything he was; his smell, his taste, the sound of his low, indecent moans. Even his body, unfamiliar but so incredibly hard and toned was amazing because it was strong and firm and he knew he would not have to be gentle or scared of hurting him. The thought alone of the rough, careless things they could do together was extremely arousing.

The kiss was clumsy, mouths clashing together, teeth nibbling and tongues swirling around each other with loud suction noises as they held onto each other for dear life. Naruto did not know what to feel, what else to do but relish in what was happening and find contentment that Sasuke was indeed responding to him with the same want, that what had happened – what _was _happening – was completely consensual, and that was all he needed to know. All he wanted was to let go, immerse himself on those amazing sensations, and hope the other could do the same.

Which – apparently – was not as difficult as it was supposed to be since the raven was clearly as excited as he was.

In a way, Naruto thought they needed it, _deserved it _even.

They parted for air after a few moments. Their questioning eyes met and their breaths mingled in an invisible dance between them. Naruto felt relieved that he saw no regret there, no anger, just awe, lust and a slight confusion.

"You're doing it again," Sasuke murmured breathlessly, left hand moving to stroke blond locks rudely. "That look…I don't know what to make of it…."

"I like you…" was all Naruto managed to utter, daring his hands to lift Sasuke's t-shirt up just a little so that his fingers could touch his skin at the same time that he leaned forward once more to kiss his jaw line fervently. "I really do."

"I know," Sasuke said, making a weird noise with his throat at his friend's ministrations and throwing his head to the side. "But you don't like me the way you think you do. You're just horny and bored, moron."

"You don't know how I feel." Naruto defended, biting down hard on the raven's neck and making him hiss. "I do like you, you're important to me. Only…maybe now I've become horny for you."

Sasuke let out a sarcastic cackle at that.

"Really?" he said, pulling blond hair brusquely back to force Naruto him to look at him. "That's so selfish of you."

"You're no better," The kitsune pointed out, making a face. "You're the same; you kissed back."

"I did," Sasuke admitted, and the lustful, dangerous way he eyed Naruto's mouth made the blond shiver wantonly. "It doesn't make it right**,** though."

"I don't care about that right now," Naruto uttered, as coherently as he could, finding himself incredibly turned on by the aggressive way Sasuke pulled his hair further back to expose his Adam's apple. "If you want it as much as I do, I don't see what could possibly be wrong about it..."

"Of course**,** you don't," Sasuke joked, licking Naruto's neck all the way up his chin and making him moan loudly. He doubted he had ever been this noisy during a making out session. "Your brain can't reach such a hard train of thought."

"Fuck you…"

Lips met voraciously once again and it all became turmoil of emotions from then on.

Naruto felt free like never before as he was so graciously given permission by Sasuke to remove his top and throw it to the side. He had already seen his best friend topless, bottomless and just stark naked, and yet, what he felt this time was completely different. For the first time, instead of envying his body**,** he appreciated it for the vision of sin it was. His back, his chest, his sides, everything felt heavenly underneath Naruto's fingertips.

Sasuke understood him, understood what he needed, what he wanted, understood that, for now, he just wanted to be able to touch him, kiss him, get close to him, discover him, but did not need any more feedback than what he was already receiving.

As it was, the brunet allowed himself to be touched, kissed, fondled, bitten and rubbed against. Naruto had the feeling he was not the passive type, but was happy to have the privilege of having met this side of him. Sasuke was in control but responded eagerly, touching him as well and making sure he did not step over the line of what was acceptable – which, for now, meant touching and so on only above the waist, because he slapped Naruto's hands away every time they wandered somewhere forbidden. Still, he led him on and encouraged him and clearly had a blast while doing it.

The way he moved, the way he kissed, the way he touched…

_Damn sexy…_

The Uchiha was loud. Not loud like any kind of overjoyed female, but a sort of low, passionate and obscene loud that had no reservations, and yet was rather discrete, intimate.

Soon**,** Sasuke had moved to sit on the counter, opening his legs so that Naruto could settle in between them. When the raven locked said legs around the blonde's waist, they came in to full contact, their bodies glued together like never before. Not long after that, they were already rolling their hips against each other ferociously through their clothes, groins rubbing together in a way the blond would never even dream of trying with his girlfriend. He was too scared to try and touch any sexual parts, but too wound up to just ignore his need to come.

He was aware that it was a bad idea to mark Sasuke, so instead of biting down on his shoulder, he buried his head on his shoulder, biting on his own lower lip instead to muffle his cries. He wanted to make it last but found himself unable to hold the gush of pleasure running through him, because really, how could he avoid it when feeling the other's covered member pulsing against his caused him to share in the sudden and unexpected orgasm?

Sasuke felt amazing while coming, holding on to him and letting out the most erotic sounds in Naruto's ear.

All Naruto was able to do at the moment was press his lips into that strong shoulder and dig his nails roughly on his waist as the last moments of bliss coursed though him**,** and he shuddered violently against Sasuke's equally shaky body.

They held each other to regain their strength and Naruto hazily mused on how that one experience was hotter and much more pleasurable that any of the times he had had sex with Hinata. Even feeling Sasuke's raspy breath on his cheek was enough to make him tremble.

_I can't even feel guilty about it, _he realized, feeling a little disgruntled. He knew guilt would overwhelm him at some point, but right now, the sheer perfection of the moment was the only thing occupying his mind.

And he knew the same was happening to Sasuke.

"This will ruin everything we've built so far," Sasuke would mutter seriously, later on after they had cleaned up and went to his room to lazily lie down on his bed. "All these years of trying to get along…it'll all go down the drain."

The younger man was lying on his side beside him, observing Sasuke's pretty profile as he impassively stared at the ceiling.

"There is nothing to ruin that isn't already ruined, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, reaching out to put a reassuring hand over his chest, feeling the not so steady drum of his heartbeat. "That's how it's always been. All we have are pieces to put together and stuff to fix…I…"

Sasuke turned his head to the side to look at him, a confused expression marking his pale face.

"I think that this might be the thing that will finally fix us," Naruto proceeded, carefully. "The missing piece to…"

"Naruto…" Sasuke interrupted, frowning faintly at him. "Don't. I said it before and I'll say it again: I don't want to talk about it. Don't do this. Don't turn it into something more than it really is when all we know right now is that our bodies are surprisingly compatible. Just…drop it."

Naruto could only nod because Sasuke was right to a certain extend. They were attracted to each other but it was something new and confusing and it could really be nothing. It did not feel like nothing, but it could fade with time and it was ridiculous to make assumptions or plans just because they had made out and had some really great dry sex. Still, it had been the most amazing of things to him.

"Ok." He agreed while getting up on one elbow and getting a little closer to the brunet until their faces were mere inches away. "But you and Neji started out with several 'one night stands', right?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke said, tilting his head up instinctively to receive Naruto's brief kiss.

"Well then, I guess the least you could do is give me a few more nights with you."

TBC...


	8. Chapter Seven: Future Wishes

**A/N:** As always, a big thank you to those who review, and thank you all for reading!

Enjoy, and don't forget to review! (Come on, don't be lazy!)

**Chapter Seven: Future Wishes**

Tsunade was aware that there were better and more responsible Kages than her in the Shinobi world. However, this did not mean she thought she did a bad job as the Hokage of Konoha. Well, maybe she was a little lazy when it came to paper work, and maybe she needed to get drunk at least once a day to put up with all the shit she was submitted to every single day, but still, the villagers respected her and she did the best she could to keep the village safe and prosperous.

She was proud of her work and even more proud of her Shinobi. She had her personal favorites, but who didn't, right? She still wanted every single person to be happy and content.

The sun was waking up slowly and coming in through the Mizukage's simple but spacious quarters. The small center table that had been settled between both their armchairs was filled with several small white bottles of Sake. They had been chatting throughout the night about women's issues, state affairs, their jobs as Kages and so many other things that the Hokage could not even remember it all. Nevertheless, something told her that Terumi had made sure to get her tired and drunk enough to approach more intimate and delicate matters and now, after Tsunade had heard everything she had to say, she felt utterly shocked and bewildered.

Drunk as she may be, she was still sober enough to understand that what the other woman was suggesting was completely crazy.

"You want to take Uchiha Sasuke with you?" Tsunade asked coldly, slumping in her fluffy armchair and rubbing her eyes.

"Don't make it sound like I'm kidnapping him," Terumi said gently. "It's all about politics, as I told you. Sasuke and Haru are the last members of two very powerful bloodlines; it would be very beneficial if…"

"Terumi, this is Sasuke's home," Tsunade interrupted, looking directly into the Mizukage's emerald eyes. "Even if once he thought otherwise, he still grew up here and has built his life, his friends and his career here. He's fought hard for what he is and what he achieved. You can't expect him to let go of that."

To her surprise, Terumi crossed her leg elegantly and smiled knowingly.

"My dear Tsunade, what is it exactly that he has to lose?" She asked, in a rhetorical way. "Ao and Choujiro have been following him once in a while and frankly, there is nothing exceptionally interesting in his life. Yes, he is in ANBU and has a lover that matches his skills. Still, it is a _male _lover, unable to bear his children. His routine is boring and his brains aren't being put to full use. Do you really think he would say no to my proposition?"

She did have a point, Tsunade concluded against her will; biting her lower lip rudely. Terumi leaned in elegantly.

"He is the kind of man who wants power and recognition," She kept on, in almost a whisper. "He deserves it too. What I'm offering goes way beyond any man's wildest dreams; the possibility to have powerful heirs, and the complete leadership of Haru's village. I think he is perfect, he'll know how to make it prosper once more, and I'm sure he is more than capable of turning that small, God forsaken place into another Shinobi village."

"He is not that easily manipulated," Tsunade muttered, frowning. "I doubt he would marry without love or even without some sort of more intimate feelings."

"That is why I'm telling you that we should let him and Haru get to know each other." The Mizukage pressed on, leaning back again, crossing her hands over her lap. "I know it would be a great loss for you though. But still, it would be an arranged marriage, a certainty that there will be more Sharingan users in the future and more people with Haru's powers. It's not like Sasuke can't come back once he's fulfilled his duties as Haru's husband and the leader of her birthplace. You can be certain that I will make sure they provide at least one heir for each of our countries."

Tsunade sighed deeply. She had had too many drinks, it seemed like all that talk was senseless.

"What exactly are Haru's powers?" She chose to ask, not trusting herself to allow such a thing just yet.

"She is a priestess, as I already told you, thus, a seer." Terumi explained slowly. "She has many gifts that have been passed on from her ancestors. Most of her clan – who has been serving Kirigakure for many decades now - passed away a few years ago when the great pandemic struck her village and brought it to ruins. Last year her mother died from illness, and a few months ago, her older brother was murdered. She is said to be the most powerful of her bloodline. She sees the future, the past, and the present. She _knows_ the world. Apart from that, she has amazing healing powers and is the most fabulous seal maker I've ever seen."

"Does she have any Shinobi skills?" Tsunade asked.

"She doesn't need to."

They sat in silence as the room became lazily invaded by the morning sun, each staring at the other expectantly.

"I don't know, Terumi," The blond Kage said, shaking her head negatively. "Sasuke is…he _is_ bright, and powerful, but he is also terribly stubborn. Despite how independent he claims to be, I seriously doubt that he'd leave his friends and…"

"Tsunade…" The Hokage felt her eyes open at her companion's grave tone that had suddenly become rather intimidating. "What you don't seem to understand is that this was foretold. Haru is never mistaken. He _will _leave, maybe not when we return to our village, maybe not this year or the next, but he will eventually. I do not know the details myself because there is an extension to what Haru is allowed by the Kamis to reveal, but it is certain that he will leave Konoha."

Tsunade was not the type of person who believed in mysticism. Priestesses, seers, inherent healers…they were all charlatans to her and that Haru girl was no better. She was, however, a very well informed young girl, of that there was no doubt.

Then again, there was something in Terumi's firm and confident tone that sent shivers down the blond woman's spine.

Sasuke had already left once to seek for power, but he had had a purpose – to kill his brother, and Itachi was already dead. Yes, the Uchiha was a perfectionist, wanted to always be the best at everything and be acknowledged, but…would he leave for a chance to be the leader of an almost dead village? For the chance to continue his bloodline and make it even more powerful?

"What I do suggest is that Haru and Sasuke get to know each other better, become friends, even; if you wish. There is no need for such a thing as love; it's worthless and pointless when we're talking about politics."

If the Mizukage thought it was natural to shove two people together for the sake of an alliance and for the sake of two bloodlines; Tsunade did not agree, no matter how appealing it was. Sasuke may have a male lover _now,_ but that did not mean that sooner or later he would not want a straight relationship with a girl of his liking.

"I'm not taking him with me unwillingly," Terumi said, tiredly, noticing her partner's reluctance. "But I do think it would be selfish of you not to at least let him know about this proposition. He has the right to choose and it's really not your place to decide."

_There's no arguing that…_ The Hokage thought, sighing.

"Alright then, Terumi," She complied, words almost slurred. "I will let him and Haru socialize as you wish before letting you make the proposition. But it will be his decision, and I do hope that, despite what answer he may give you, our alliance is not compromised."

Terumi's beautiful smile was flashed at her.

"You need not worry about that, my dear friend. I know we'll both have exactly what we need."

000

_Nothing is going to change between us, and whatever is happening will not affect or influence our current relationships. Also, there will be no real sex __**and**__ we have to promise to try our best not to give in to this._

That's what Sasuke had said and that was what Naruto kept telling himself he should do, over and over again. However, simple as it may have sounded at the time, as the week went by, Naruto realized that doing it was much more difficult than he had expected.

They had met ten times in seven days, and in six of those times – yes, Naruto did count them – they had kissed or engaged in other more interesting activities. Three times at Sasuke's place, one at Naruto's, one in a deserted alley and the last time (that same morning) in the men's bathroom over the Hokage's building. Considering how his body reacted instantly at the mere sight of his best friend, Naruto thought he was doing pretty well on the whole holding back thing. Well, having Hinata was also a big help despite how many times he imagined what it would be like to have Sasuke underneath him instead of her – which had finally instantly turned his mirth into guilt.

Unexpected enough, though, was the amount of time the blond Shinobi spent thinking about Sasuke. He had hoped that once they became physically intimate his hormones would settle down and his mind would find the peace it needed, but it turned out that everything happened the exact opposite way – the more he distanced himself and held himself back the more he wanted to be around the raven, which led him to constantly think about him, fantasize about him and wonder about him. On the other hand, being with Sasuke did not help at all because they had such fierce encounters he always felt the need to go further – to possess, to keep.

He thought he would feel better about him being with Neji and yet, jealousy kept on crawling over his skin every time he thought of them together. Just imagining the kind of things they did made his heart clench.

It could all be a fling; a simple, childish crush formed by attraction, Naruto had assured himself. It had only been a week since they started testing each other out, eventually they would get bored and it would fade away.

_Still, it feels rather bothersome for something that should be so simple._

Yes, Naruto was having his first experiences with a guy and it was all too new and exciting, but what would happen when the excitement vanished?

What if it did not vanish?

_And why am I so into this? Is it because I like guys or…maybe it's just because it's Sasuke?_

His friend; his teammate. The person he hated the most. The person who had hurt him the most. The person who saved his life over and over again.

The one who always made him feel so much more than anybody else.

Throughout the week the blond tried his very best to understand himself and his sexuality. He knew he liked girls, they could still give him a decent hard-on, but when it came to guys he still knew very little, therefore he decided to watch and try to appreciate the male body and see if other guys could get him to react visually the same way Sasuke did. The Kitsune concluded, after three days, that he could find beauty and sex appeal in other men, and yet, they held no particular interest to him whatsoever since trying to picture himself with them just felt plain wrong despite the thought not grossing him out.

_Great, so I'm bi-curious and gay for Sasuke._

And the thought alone almost made him panic.

_I'm gay for Sasuke? What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

_I shouldn't be feeling this anxiety. I've never felt this way, not when I started dating Hinata and not even when we started having sex. It's definitely not normal…_

_What if it doesn't go away?_

Sitting at one of high stools of the Ichiraku dine-in, the blond boy stared at Teuchi-san's back with his cheek on his right hand, the other hand touching absently in his mug of beer.

What could he do? The helplessness inside him was growing fast as he felt more drawn to his friend than ever, but it was still too soon and frankly, despite feeling guilty for the immorality of cheating on his girlfriend, he really did not want to risk breaking up with her for something so unsteady like what he and Sasuke had, and clearly, the Uchiha felt the same way. Dump their partners was not an option, but stopping wasn't either. Especially considering that that entire intimacy thing had somehow kept them from fighting.

"Somebody's been daydream a lot lately," Came Shikamaru's drawl from beside him, waking him up from the constant SasukeLand he found himself in. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Ah, not really," Naruto lied, gazing at his friend and smiling a little. "I was just thinking about the Summer _Matsuri_ tomorrow night. Hinata just had the brilliant idea of setting us up for a double date with Neji and Sasuke."

Shikamaru whistled.

"Wow…where did that come from?"

"Beats me," Naruto shrugged, sighing. "You know how she worships Neji and wants to be friends with him. Can you believe she actually convinced him to go with her pick up Kimonos for the festival?"

"Yeah, well, she has changed a lot ever since you started dating her." The brown haired Jounin muttered, thoughtfully.

"More amazing though, was the fact that she was able to drag Sharingan boy with them too." Naruto said, jokingly despite the unappealing thought of Sasuke and Hinata together someplace where he was not.

"Now that is an impressive and rather respectable feat," Shikamaru nodded solemnly, before taking a sip of his beer. "Speaking of which, have you heard the latest rumor? Apparently the Mizukage is interested in Uchiha and wants to set him up with that priestess of hers."

"Set them up?" The blond repeated eyes wide in horror, a sudden feeling of worry invading his nerves. "But…Sasuke has Neji!"

"Calm down, it's only a rumor," Shikamaru said, laughing. "You're so troublesome. It's just that the news came out that the Mizukage requested him to take the girl on a tour around Konoha tomorrow, so everybody at the Residence is making jokes about it."

"Oh, right."

Feeling a little more reassured, the blue eyed Shinobi let out a relieved breath that was still a little constricted. The Mizukage did not have ulterior motives for requesting the Uchiha, right? She was clearly a woman that liked handsome men, so she must have noticed him right away, thus thinking of him when choosing someone to take her protégé for a walk. There was no reason for him to flip out.

But he had nevertheless, because the only thing worse than Sasuke dating Neji, would be for him to date some girl and eventually need to move to another country.

_It's real, I'm screwed. Sasuke's messing with me without even doing anything. Well, he does by existing, the bastard._

"Come on, we still have to collect the books from the gate's ordinance and collect those late taxes from the main street." Shikamaru said, stretching.

"I hate doing these kinds of social jobs, they're booooring!" Naruto complained, not too willing to get up. "And why do I have to work on a damn holiday?"

"You're not the only one, so stop whining," Shikamaru huffed, hitting him slightly across the head. "Just hurry up. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we'll go home."

Not that that was a good enough reason for the blond to feel happy since there was no-one waiting for him at home, anyway. Sasuke would be with Neji and he had been with Hinata earlier so he would spend the night alone. Life was harsh sometimes.

Finishing his drink, he paid for both his and his companion's checks before getting up and allowing his face to grin widely.

"Yes mommy," He said, patting Shikamaru's back condescendingly. "I promise I'll be good from now on."

000

"Neji, do you think attraction is reason enough for two people to stay together?" Sasuke inquired softly but gravely while he inattentively played with Neji's hands, chin over his shoulder.

One of the few things the Uchiha liked about his boyfriend's place was the fact that it had a large bathroom with the biggest square bathtub he had ever seen. The watery green tiles and the tiny window on the furthest wall provided a peaceful atmosphere in spite of how the place itself was pretty plain and empty, but it was quiet, reason more than enough to be enjoyable.

The two young men were inside the tub filled with warm water and bubbles that smelled faintly of lemon, Sasuke leaning against the brim and Neji sitting between his opened legs with his back against his chest. They had been silent before Sasuke's voice filled the hollow place, simply taking pleasure in each other's presence and company.

Neji kept his calm demeanor, opal eyes impassively watching Sasuke's hands touching his equally pale ones.

"Is there any particular reason for such a question?" He asked back, quietly.

"Maybe," Sasuke muttered, secretly marveling at the way Neji's hair floated in the water over the bubbles. "I only want to know what you think about it."

"Hum…Well, I guess so," Neji said in barely a whisper. "Attraction is a very powerful thing. Whether it's physical, intellectual or something else, I think attraction is the main ingredient that helps to brew other kinds of feelings and emotions."

"Like what?" The raven asked, kissing the curve of his neck gently.

"I don't know; friendship, trust, love…I suppose it can produce anger and bitterness as well if it backfires," Neji leaned a little more into Sasuke's chest and sighed contently. "You should know I'm not the right person to ask about feelings."

"You're wrong," Sasuke said, after lightly biting his mate's ear. "You're much more methodical than I am and much more raw. You may not be a person of many words, but when you say them you mean them, and that makes you a more emotional and honest person than I. You are actually capable of thinking things through, unlike myself, who basically just goes with the flow."

"That's not true, you do think about things. You're just scared to do so because you think emotions make you weak. I used to think so too. I still do…about some things."

Dazed, Sasuke noticed the steam around them was hot and a little stuffy but comfy, nonetheless. The wonderful relaxation the bubbles provided and the familiar feeling of Neji's body against his had a soothing effect on him. In moments like these, he honestly wished that the day would come when he would say – only to himself, of course – that he loved his captain. Real love, the one that would make him forget about everything, the one that would make him want to live together, build a steady life together and celebrate special occasions together. He still wanted a family, kids, but just like Neji had said, if they ended up falling for each other they would have to find alternatives for that, which suited Sasuke just fine as long as he could find a way to have kids of his own blood.

It was weird for the last Uchiha to realize just how much he actually wanted kids of his own. He did not even like children, nor considered himself someone such little people would like to have around them, but still, all it mattered was that he wanted a family. Not that it would ever make up for the one he had lost, but it would be a good start.

Neji sure had a large family…

Sasuke cleared his throat a little to push away such a disgusting wishful thinking. He really liked the older man and really wished he would come to like him even more. Inside him were feelings for the Hyuuga; the kind of feelings that made him want to respect him, be respected and acknowledged by him, protect him and make sure he was happy and content enough. He liked him truly and honestly, and every feeling he had was genuine, yet it still wasn't _love._ They burned for each other but that special unknown flame was missing even though everything was perfect even when it was not.

And then, there was 'The Idiot'. The one that in such a short amount of time had made him feel so many things he should not have felt.

There was the same amount of craving with him, but there was something that made him so much more different than Neji that Sasuke did not know what it was. It existed when they touched, when they kissed, when they looked into each other's eyes. It was there even when they were simply in the same place together. It was so obvious Sasuke felt it with his very being, and still, he did not know _what _it was or what made it different.

He had sex with Neji, _cuddled _with him, allowed himself to sometimes be caring and all touchy feely, and even indulged in a few romantic moments once in a while. Imagining himself doing any of that with his friend was just…

Doing it with Neji had become natural, but with Naruto? The perspective itself was scary when there was so much intensity in a simple kiss. The gods only knew what could happen if they brought other sappy things to the party.

Keeping it strictly physical was all Sasuke could do to assure himself that there was some kind of balance between their attraction and their friendship. As long as that balance was maintained, everything would be alright and the earth would spin the way it was supposed to. No unnecessary shit to fuck everything up.

"Supposing you became attracted to someone else while with me," Sasuke made a very convincing impression of sounding casual. "Would you want us to break up because of that?"

Neji chuckled a little.

"What are you, a girl?" He asked teasingly while intertwining their fingers together. "You sure sound like one with these kinds of questions."

"Shut up, you cocky bastard, I'm just relying on your cruel and usually mostly unwanted honesty." Sasuke replied, trying his best not to give into the apprehension he felt towards Neji finding out the reason for those same questions.

"Alright," Neji nodded, tilting his head back so that it was leaning against the younger man's shoulder. "Are you sure you won't regret knowing the answer?"

Sasuke bit down hard on his shoulder to get his answer across and Neji hissed a little, squeezing his fingers even harder to make him stop, which he did, successfully.

"To answer to your ever so girlish question, no, Uchiha, I would not break up with you," The brown haired one said, managing to relax once more. "Well, at least not at this stage of the relationship."

"Why not?"

"Because we're in a _relationship_," Neji explained, as if he was talking to a five year old. "It's only been little over a month, but it's still one. I mean, it's not like we were hopelessly in love from the start, so I don't really think either of us is immune to feeling attracted to other people, nor do I think we should repress ourselves from it. Obviously I'm not encouraging it, mind you. But attraction could be just that. We've been doing fine haven't we? We know each other; we are used to each other. Why should I let you go for a fling?"

Ah, Neji just had to think the same way as him, Sasuke thought, holding back a sigh of relief.

"So...you would give in to that attraction?" Sasuke pressed on, unable to stop now that he knew Neji was being as honest as he could be. "Would you try and see what it feels like to be with someone else?"

"Probably."

Instead of finding his lover's answer offensive, Sasuke realized the idea actually made him a little hot because he had no idea Neji was so unpredictably open minded.

"Would you tell me about it?"

"Why would I? Unless you were in for a threesome or something like that," Neji muttered, sarcastically. Then, he cleared his throat as if repressing himself for making such a terrible joke. "As I told you, we're giving it a shot at this, it's all too fresh. If it so happened that we were already dating for, let's say, six months, then I _would_ tell you because it would be serious, it would be cheating and ruining something more substantial. Or if I accidentally fell in love with someone else in the meantime."

"Oh, you still think we'll make it six months together?"

"I enjoy too much having someone who puts up with my shit and fight it back at the same time. It's my perfect definition of romance."

Neji let go of Sasuke's hands and carefully turned around so as to not spill the water of the tub all over the tiled floor. The raven understood what he wanted to do and closed his legs under the water to let the other straddle his thighs. He watched Neji adjusting himself the way he wanted over his lap.

"Do you have someone in mind, Sasuke?" Neji asked, softly but almost dangerously as he let his hands travel over his partner's smooth chest, clear eyes staring seductively but intensely into dark grey ones.

Sasuke could only smile mysteriously at that, his own hands touching Neji's thighs under the water slowly as a sudden, unexpected flood of affection ran through him.

Really, if he could only fall in love with this man his life would be so much easier.

If he fell in love, then maybe he would not need to look so desperately for real completion.

Neji may not have that missing piece yet, but he could have some day, right? And then Sasuke wouldn't need to feel so scared of Naruto, so unsure and so depending on that little thing that the blond had that made him so special, so different from everyone else. So fucking different from Neji, the gods only knew why.

"You would love to know that wouldn't you?" He whispered, leaning over to nibble on his collarbone.

"I may be indulgent for now, but I'm still rather possessive of what's willingly mine, so don't push it."

"I wouldn't dream of it. You're the only one who has the privilege of having so many bits of me."

And it was true, because if Sasuke were to give those same bits to Naruto, then…

As Neji kissed him gently in that meticulous, professional way of his, Sasuke exhaled languidly through his nose, wishing for many things but still feeling a little guilty that he was thinking about his friend while with Neji. There was a time when his captain was able to wipe every thought from his mind. Now it was almost impossible to keep his thoughts clean.

_Damn that shitty idiot._

At least Neji still turned him on, all Naruto thoughts aside, Sasuke concluded, once more immensely relieved, feeling his body react with every little flicker of his boyfriend's expert tongue.

"I do hope you realize," Neji gasped against his lips, ghostly fingers trailing down wantonly, making the Uchiha moan under his breath. "That in spite of this little talk, it's not just sex that keeps me at your side."

But as Neji's hand curled around Sasuke's needy member, the shorter one could no longer find any coherent answer to that. He could not even think about what such a sentence meant, but since that was apparently what Neji wanted, he obliged willingly, letting himself be immersed in those familiar sensations that he so cherished.

000

Haru, as Sasuke noticed, was a pretty girl who looked much younger than she really was.

They met outside the Hokage's Residence and Sasuke was lucky she remembered him because he had forgotten what she looked like.

The girl was wearing a simple blue dress and had her long hair tied in a curly ponytail that highlighted her soft round features. She was tiny but curvier than most of the girls the Uchiha knew – reason that caused many heads to turn in her direction.

Sasuke had been a little upset that he had to do such a low classed "mission" being ANBU and all, but it was a request from the Mizukage, so he had to swallow his pride and suck it up.

Pervaded in fulfilling his job perfectly as usual, he mustered up his best courteous attitude and took the girl for a walk around the village.

It was a long walk too, where Sasuke made sure he showed her everything and told her every single story he knew about this or that place. She did not seem shy, politely commenting on his words, asking questions about a certain custom or tradition Konoha might have, sometimes mentioning things that she found funny that were so different from Kirigakure.

Sasuke was impressed to find out that she was actually very smart, well-bred and cultured. She seemed to know a lot about the Shinobi history and even had a decent amount of knowledge about the traditional Shinobi culture, which made it easy for him to make conversation.

He supposed she had to be clever if she was a country's main Priestess. Considering that, she acted very modestly as well.

They did not talk about their private lives, nor did either ask the other personal questions. The raven actually felt a little relieved that the girl did not look at him with the same appreciative eyes every women had. She did not blush or stutter every time he spoke. She looked at him calmly, attentively and still, there was a little bit of exaggerated complicity in her eyes. She eyed him like she knew him from inside out with those hazel orbs that seemed too old to be in such a young looking face. It was weird and the midnight haired teen was unsure of what to feel about it.

For some reason, he did not feel insulted when she addressed him only by 'Sasuke' since her tone was completely devoid of malice or disrespect. He chose to call her 'Haru' as well, to make it even.

"Sorry but, have we met before?" Sasuke dared to ask, when they sat side by side at a bench in the public park after buying ice cream in a nearby café.

Haru looked at him and smiled sweetly, then shook her head negatively.

"No, we haven't," She said. "How could we, living so far away from each other?"

"Yeah." He nodded, feeling a little more at ease now that he knew he was being paranoid about having some kind of amnesia or something for her to look so familiar and him not remembering it.

"I do know you though." She replied heedlessly, before licking her ice cream carefully. "I know everything about you."

Sasuke observed her with furrowed brows.

"Really?" He inquired, hiding his confusion by keeping his expression neutral.

"Yes. Why do you think I didn't ask you anything?" She said, clearly amused.

"Oh, right, you're a P_riestess." _Sasuke's tone was a little mocking as he smiled mischievously. "Do you know everything about everyone?"

"I can have knowledge about anyone if I want to," She explained, with an almost childish simplicity. "But the knowledge of you came to me on its own. You're nineteen and I'm almost twenty two even though I don't look like it. Your birth if the first dream I ever had that my mind actually recalled. I basically grew up dreaming of your own growth so I can say I watched every single bit of your life up until now."

The surely had ripped every single bit of sarcasm out of the brunet in less than a second.

"So, you're saying that, if I asked you about any event of my life, you would be able to tell it to me?" He asked, forgetting about the ice cream he was holding.

"Yes." Her tone was so sure and full of confidence that it made him wonder if she was a good actress, a phony too used to fooling people or if she was one of the few true seers that the Uchiha legends spoke about.

Since most of the Uchiha techniques were based on Shinto mythology and believed to be induced by the Shinto gods themselves, Sasuke just had to be a little religious and believe in such things; otherwise he would have never been able to understand what it took to execute the Jutsus properly. He knew the unnatural existed, respected it and even feared it and that there were people in the world that had inherent powers just like there were people who knew nothing about chakra and nothing of how to control it.

Could she be a gifted one?

His curiosity has been captured and yet, he was a little taken aback by how vulgar she looked and even acted. Should he investigate? Should he try and figure out if she really was something special?

At the same time, he was feeling uneasy. If she was, in fact, the real deal he would not be happy at all to know that some unknown woman knew about him and his life.

At least that explained – poorly – why he had been chosen to take her out.

This only left him the choice of asking something that would not give away his interest and would not make her tell him anything he might not want to hear. He could research about her later and then strike once he knew more.

"Why do you think that happened?" He inquired, cautiously. "I mean, you dreaming about me, of all people."

She smiled once more, a big, rather happy smile that was really disturbing.

"I'm telling you a secret only real seers are supposed to know," She muttered, lowering her voice a little and leaning in a conspirator way, waving her hand to make him lean as well, which he did, almost unconsciously. "The prophecies say that no seer dies alone, and it has been proven to be the truth. All of us usually dream and have the full knowledge of the person that will watch us die. Do you understand that, Sasuke?"

And that was the moment that the Uchiha promised to himself that he would most definitely study about seers and weird people like her or he would become paranoid for as long as the girl remained in the village.

The worst of all was the fact that he did not know what disturbed him the most about those words: if the joyful way she had said them, or the terrible feeling of inevitability that ran through his spine at that same moment.


	9. Chapter Eight: Come My Way

**A/N: **I hope you enjoy this! Don't forget to feedback and let me know your honest opinion! It meant the world to me and keeps me going!

But you guys know how much I love you all and appreciate your reviews! Much love!

**Chapter Eight: Come My Way**

The Jounin station was abnormally noisy and crowded for such an important day. The Summer _Matsuri_*, one of the biggest events in Konoha, would take place later that night at the _Onsen_**. Considering it was the second holiday and that every merchant of the village was contributing to its execution, it would be expected that chaos and disorganization would be all over the streets; what with everyone carrying their goods all the way from their stores to the _Onsen_. Surprisingly, that year everything seemed to be going well since there had been no problems or complaints of any kind.

While every Jounin that was forced to work on a holiday did not mind all the unoccupied time they were spending at the station – where they were supposed to remain for the day in case the Hokage's orders came up – Naruto was having a particularly hard time staying there and being confronted with things he did not feel like dealing with: Sasuke.

Sasuke was just there, among other male and female Jounin, doing nothing special. He was sitting at a far corner of the main waiting room; talking to that tiny weird girl he had taken out just the day before. Naruto did not even know what the hell she was doing in a place that was not meant for civilians, but that was not the main thing that made his blood boil. Sasuke, who usually kept to himself or only spoke when he needed to, was being abnormally talkative. More than that, he looked extremely interested in whatever conversation they were having. Yes, he looked as professional and serious as always, but somehow the girl's delicate smile and those attentive eyes that watched the raven's every move made the blond teen's blood boil angrily in his veins.

Sasuke was looking particularly handsome that day. Not that he looked any different from usual, Naruto just thought so, and apparently so did the girl.

Did the priestess like Sasuke? Well, it was clear that the Uchiha was somewhat interested in her…

Was it true that they were trying to set them up?

"It's your move, Naruto." Kiba's bored voice said, across from him on the small table where they were playing _Shogi._ Naruto nodded absently and made a nervous move without really seeing what he was doing since his eyes were too focused on his rival to see anything else.

_What the hell is that damn girl smiling so much about? I can't even remember her name…_

_Hatori? Hiromi? Maybe it was Hana? No, that's not right._

_Whatever, it doesn't matter._

_Why the hell am I getting so worked up for? It's so annoying feeling these damn things out of the blue. It's all Sasuke's fault!_

_Gaah, why doesn't he look at me? Look at me you damn bastard, you haven't even glanced my way ever since you sat at that damn table!_

_Look at me!_

But then, Naruto's frantic thoughts came to halt as he pictured those dark, cold and intense orbs looking at him. Expressionless, in hatred, in exasperation, in mirth, in confusion, in pleasure…

Sasuke, moaning his name while…

_No! If you were somehow listening and ignoring me, keep doing that! Do NOT look at me!_ Naruto thought desperately as the immediate rush of want ran through him, making his cheeks flush red and his heart race. _What the fuck am I thinking? As if he could ever listen to what's inside my head!_

_Shit, I've got it bad…why the fuck can't I sort myself out?_

"…spacing out a lot lately."

Naruto shivered and looked at Kiba's face, which was currently scrunched up in annoyance.

"What?" Naruto asked, forcing himself to let all thoughts of Sasuke go from his mind.

"I said, you've been spacing out a lot," Kiba replied, nodding negatively. "I mean, what the hell is wrong with you? You've been staring at the priestess for the gods know how long!"

"Priestess?" The blond muttered stupidly. Did Kiba just think he was looking at the girl?

"Look man, we're friends and all that, but if you hurt Hinata I'll kick your ass so badly the only way you'll eat ramen is through a straw," Kiba stated firmly, shaking his closed fist in front of his face. Akamaru, who was lying beside his chair got up and started snarling in Naruto's direction. "Do you understand? You have a beautiful, talented girl by your side and she loves you madly. Don't let it go for a crush on someone who'll leave sooner or later!"

Naruto almost laughed, unsure of if he should feel relieved Kiba had not noticed him staring at Sasuke or worried that he was threatening him not to hurt his teammate.

"It's not like that, I wasn't looking at anybody!" The Kistune assured him awkwardly. "I was just staring at nothing in particular, it just happened to be somewhere close to where she is, that's all!"

The brunet made a weird sound but nodded with his lips pursed and leaned back, patting Akamaru's back.

"Just don't screw up, man," He said, in a vicious way that made Naruto feel like he had just been slapped across the face. "It cracks my nerves thinking that someone would be so low as to hurt a person like her. I really hated Neji back in the days when he used to be cruel to her."

Naruto kept himself in terrified silence, noticing how, for some reason, the always so frontal Kiba had averted his eyes from him.

The blond had never noticed that protective side of him, and wondered if it was just because Hinata was his precious teammate, or for some other reason altogether.

Unsurprisingly, Naruto felt mortified but could not find the will to be jealous, and it made him feel nauseous with guilt, fear and a sudden disgust with himself as a harsh reality sunk in.

_What the hell am I doing, playing around with Sasuke behind Hinata's back? _He pondered, feeling miserable. _When did I ever become this kind of person? Thinking about him every day, seeing him when I make love to her; completely disregarding how she might feel._

_What the hell is wrong with me? I've been so focused on this I couldn't see it..._

Naruto bit his lip and shut his eyes.

_I wanted to make it work with her; I wanted to make her happy and I did. The way she smiled, the subtle changes on her confidence... I gave that to her and she received it because she loves me._

_She improved herself and worked hard because of me._

_She would be perfect. We…I wanted us to find a way to be together until the end. But it's me; I should have never let myself give in to make her happy._

_I can't lie and force myself into thinking it'll be perfect just because she can provide what I want. I lied from the very beginning. Most importantly…I lied to her._

_ I can't lie to her; not when she gave everything and made me so happy just by knowing someone loved me._

_Hinata deserves my honesty; she deserves much better than me._

Naruto stared into Kiba's face, feeling sick. The other boy was slightly flushed though it was almost impossible to see due to the paintings on his face.

_Is he in love with her?_

Then his eyes moved slowly to where his semi-lover was. Sasuke was still chatting with the girl, a cigarette now dangling from his slender ivory fingers.

Just looking at him made Naruto's heart clench with something so powerful it was agonizing.

Powerful and painful, but weirdly exquisite.

_It's not just sex, you fool. _A ruthless voice in the back of his head said. _You don't even have sex with him and yet you feel happy just being around him. You don't feel such things in your heart if you're just turned on. You were angry, jealous, upset, but it's not something you feel just because you want to get into someone's pants. You know you've never felt this way before._

Naruto gulped, eyes going wide.

_Sasuke has always been my special person._ Naruto concluded, throat dry, panic and resentment starting to flood through him. **_My _**_special person. I don't want him with Neji. Thinking about it makes me mad. I'm his best friend. After all we've been through, why should someone who was never there for him before suddenly have the right to see all of Sasuke?_

_Even if Neji is a match for him, he has no right to take him._

_I don't care anymore. I hate them together._

_I want to see Sasuke. I want to see all of him._

_I want all he has to give…_

_I've always liked him more than anyone else, even when I hated him…_

"Oi, Naruto, are you feeling ok?" Kiba's voice uttered worriedly. "You look kinda sick, man."

Suddenly, blue eyes opened as wide as they possibly could.

_No way… I like him. I like him so much I can't stand to see him with someone else._

_I actually fell for that bastard, I…_

Grousing dramatically, Naruto let his head fall forward until his forehead hit the _Shogi_ board violently, causing Kiba to gasp in horror. It did not matter; his head had felt so suddenly heavy he did not even feel any pain.

"Geez! What the hell?" The dog lover was exclaiming, reaching out to shake him worriedly. "Naruto, what's wrong! Speak to me, man! Why is everybody starring like idiots, go call a doctor or something!"

"I'm fine, Kiba…" Naruto replied, lifting his head up and bringing a Shogi peace glued to the side of his forehead. "I'm just having a bad day, that's all."

"Fuck, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry."

But it was Naruto who was scared. So scared in fact, that for the first time he feared the outcome of his impulsiveness now that he had come to terms with what he felt and what he had to do from now on.

As he shakily removed the Shogi piece from his face, he felt those eyes he had come to know so well stick to him intently. He felt them like they were hands, tapping him on the shoulder, caressing every bit of him, calling for attention... And now it suddenly became too dangerous to look up.

How fucked up was that?

_Sakura-chan… _The blue eyed Shinobi thought, breathing deeply while realizing how much pain she should be in and how wrong it was of her to have accepted Lee just because she thought he would make her happy. W_e're the lowest of the low. Why did we do this? This stupid game of deceit, this blindness…_

_Why should we hurt people for fear of being alone? Fuzzy eyebrows loves you, but you…_

_I wonder what is more wrong – to force yourself to love someone, or to be with someone who doesn't love you and live in the illusion that they might fall in love with you._

_Lies…_

_So many lies._

_And now we're in big trouble. But I'll get us both out if it. I won't let you, or myself lie anymore._

At that same moment, Naruto was called by one of the messengers.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the Kazekage wants to see you." The young Chuunin had said from the entrance to the room, making him almost jump out of his shoes in marvelous relief. "Please follow me."

Naruto could not think about this right now and being in the same room as Sasuke was not going to help at all – he would just crumble down eventually from nerves, pent up frustration, energy, and would end up doing something really stupid, too early. He had to clear his head first, and hopefully, being away from the Uchiha and socializing with Gaara would help him cool down.

Feeling thankful that the man had come at exactly the right time, he got up like his ass was on fire and followed him without looking behind, promptly ignoring Sasuke's intense gaze on his back.

000

If Naruto had seriously believed that being with his companion from Suna would be helpful, he soon realized he had been terribly wrong.

"Excuse me, what?" He asked, praying that he had a serious hearing problem.

They were alone in the Kazekage's small but cozy chambers. Gaara stood before him, arms imposingly crossed over his chest, jade green eyes fixed emotionlessly in ocean blue.

"I said I would like it if you could escort me to the _Matsuri _tonight."

No such luck, he had heard him perfectly.

"_Escort_?" Naruto asked, dumbly.

"Yes."

They stared at each other, Gaara looking as calm and intimidating as always, Naruto finding it hard to understand what that situation meant and how he was supposed to react to it.

"I…It's not like I have problem with it, I just…I have the night off, I'm not supposed to work…" He said, not really considering his words since his mind was still too filled with thoughts of Sasuke and what he was going to do about it from now on.

"You said you wanted to hang out." Gaara pointed out dryly.

"Yeah, but on some other occasion, when I don't have any plans…this is really a bad day and I would be a terrible company."

Gaara did not answer to that, just kept staring at him, which made Naruto all the more frustrated.

"Look, what about Temari and Kankurou?" Naruto pressed on. "They're your bodyguards."

"Temari is going with that lazy shadow guy and Kankurou hates festivals," Was the red hair's reply. "I wanted to hang out with just you."

The rather childish remark made it click inside his mind and Naruto felt all his organs spasm with something very, very uncomfortable.

"Gaara… that would be like going on a date." He muttered, in a low, cautious voice. The blond could feel his warm, expectant chakra becoming a little uneasy.

The Kazekage blinked a few times without saying anything or showing any kind of facial expression before finally speaking again.

"I've never been on a date before." He said, simply.

"You're supposed to go on a date with someone you care about," Naruto explained, embarrassingly. "Even if you call it 'escorting' it's still a bit…"

"I don't mind calling it a 'date'." Gaara interrupted. His chakra boiled gently with pleasure when Naruto felt himself blush. "You are the only person I would consider for that."

The Jounin's chin fell. Gaara could not be serious, could he? No way, Naruto did not need such a thing at this point of his life! Not in a million years, let alone now!

"Do you even know what you're saying?" He asked, feeling barmy. "That's just…"

"The question is, Uzumaki, can you or can you not take me to the _Matsuri_?"

"No!"

Gaara's none existing eyebrows rose up in questioning, chakra becoming a little darker, more anxious, and more nervous.

"I mean…I didn't mean to yell," Naruto apologized, rubbing the back of his head nervously because really, he did not mean to be rude and in another occasion he would have dealt with it differently, but now it all seemed too absurd to consider. "I might have forgotten to tell you, but I have a girlfriend that I'm taking to the _Matsuri_."

Gaara became silent, disappointment evident.

"Oh." He said, after a while.

"Listen, things are a little complicated with me right now and I don't…It's just not a good day, I really can't… I'm so sorry."

"It's not like I told you to sleep with me or anything." Gaara's tone was suddenly cold, resented and it made Naruto tremble with remorse.

"I know you didn't, I just…"

"Don't make such a big deal out of it."

"I'm not," Naruto muttered between clenched teeth. "But if you don't want me to, then don't do it either. What's with that dark aura all of a sudden? I'll hang out with you anytime you want, just tell me about it beforehand. I'll talk to someone to take you today so you…"

"I am the Kazekage; I can easily find someone to take me without your help."

Oh. Gaara was mad. Not that it was visible in his young features, but it was definitely palpable in the way his chakra seemed to have gained a light electric touch.

Concentrating on keeping his increasing bad mood in control, the kitsune breathed in several times before answering.

"Alright, then. Since we've got that settled, I will see you around."

He did not want to hurt Gaara, but he did not feel capable of dealing with that kind of shit at the moment. He would have to speak to him and tell him all about what had been going on, to make up to him, to make him understand.

As he left the chambers and the Residence, Naruto felt emotionally drained as he wondered what else could happen to make his day even more awkward and confusing and turn it from bad to worse.

He was in love with his best friend and now he had to be honest with himself for once and act upon it. He also had to be honest with his girlfriend and had to be honest with Sasuke, even if that went against the Uchiha's initial plan.

Unless Sasuke was already in love with Neji, there was still a chance that they could…what, be together? That would be nice. Yes, that would be perfect. But somehow he knew Sasuke would not be easily lured and still, all he wanted to do was convince him to leave Neji so that all feelings of guilt could go away and they could really be free with each other. So that Sasuke thought of no one else. Yes, because the Uchiha would never do those things with him, his best friend, someone with whom he still had countless issues, if there were no feelings involved, right? Maybe that was the reason why he wanted to be with him but kept him away and did not allow anything more intimate.

Maybe Sasuke was afraid to fall in love with him. Not that Naruto could blame him anyway.

He had to think about what to say to Hinata and how to approach her on the subject. It would be difficult, but it was all for the best.

Then there was Gaara and his weird behavior. What the hell was wrong with him, being all flirty all of a sudden? Yes, because that's what he had done in his Gaara language.

He really, really needed to get his life back on track before he went crazy or it wouldn't be just Hinata that would be hurt by all of this. Naruto already felt hurt enough as it was.

_Why did I even get myself into all of this in the first place?_

000

Sakura could not remember a day when she had seen her best male friend this miserable while drunk.

Naruto had always been the type of person who seemed to have a bottomless stomach and he was not very different when it came to alcohol, reason why she was more than surprised and a little worried. How and why the hell did he get in such a drunken state without anyone noticing?

She and Lee had found the two couples together, while they watched the fireworks from the main garden in the _Onsen_. Everything had seemed alright enough back then. Hinata was as happy as ever, looking absolutely stunning in her lovely white Kimono, her hair tied from behind beautifully. Naruto had chosen a light blue _yukata_ that looked rather cheap but enlightened his eyes, thus suiting him. Neji was also wearing a white garment, looking all mighty and imposing, but he looked nowhere near as good as Sasuke did with his own, beautiful dark blue silky _yukata_. The color contrasted with his fair skin and brought out the darkness of his eyes and the bluish highlights in his hair. He looked like one of those powerful feudal lords from the tales Sakura used to read about when she was younger.

The four seemed to be getting along just fine despite how detached they all looked considering how every couple in the _Matsuri_ just could not break apart from their mates. They were like a group of friends hanging out and it was just fine since Sakura did not want to picture Neji and Sasuke being all lovey-dovey.

There had been nothing unusual apart from the fact that Naruto – who was always noisy and all enthusiastic about such festivities – was awfully quiet.

The six of them had watched the amazing display of colorful fireworks together until Neji had the brilliant idea of smooching his boyfriend. It was not even one of those mind blowing kisses, just a small peck on the lips that apparently had been a little too much for Naruto, who did not look pleased.

Sakura thought it was normal since they were always fighting, anyway, despite the fact that they seemed to be getting along better lately. However, when Lee got away for a while to go greet Gai-sensei, Naruto followed him, but did not come back.

The remaining four, noticing his absence, went looking for him and found him by a stand of beverages, literally nagging the hell out of Ino and TenTen, more than a little tipsy.

Since Lee was nowhere to be seen, an apprehensive Sakura offered to bring him home but Sasuke dismissed the thought saying there was no way she could take him that drunk all by herself. Hinata had been worried and shocked that Naruto had gone and done something like that with no apparent reason and wanted to go with them. Luckily – or so Sakura thought – Sasuke told her and Neji not worry and that he and Sakura would take care of it. After all, Sakura was a medic, she could easily do something for him if it was necessary, and Sasuke could carry him easily enough. Besides, he had added, having too much people in Naruto's small apartment would be troublesome.

Naruto was clearly not sober, but he spoke a lot about lots of stupid things and did it really fast, his words firm and only slightly slurred.

The way to his house seemed painfully long.

"Sakura-chaaaaan, I don't feel so good…" Naruto whined from his single bed where she and Sasuke had sat him down in hopes that he would calm down enough to take a shower. He had actually managed to stay still and stop jabbering for five whole minutes while Sakura tried to find out where everything was to make him tea and Sasuke checked his drawers in hope of finding some kind of medicine that would help him sober up.

Expectantly though, now the blond was clutching his stomach and looking absolutely nauseous.

"What, are you feeling sick?" She asked him from the stove where she was boiling water for the tea.

"I dunno…" He muttered.

"Damn it, you're such a pain in the ass!" Sasuke groaned, violently slamming shut the drawer he had been rummaging through and walking over to him, leaning over to help him get up by putting his arm around his shoulders. "Why can't you stay out of trouble for once?"

"Shut up you bas…ohhhh, It's coming…not…good…"

"I swear by the honor of my name, I'll kill you if you throw up on me!" Sasuke said menacingly, as Naruto made a choked sound like he was, indeed, about to let his guts out. "Fuck, hold it in, moron!"

"Sasuke-kun, make sure he doesn't pass out!" Sakura called over her shoulder as she watched Sasuke hurriedly and angrily dragging Naruto with him to the bathroom. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the disgusting sound of him disposing of all his drinking – and probably all the food he had in his stomach as well – filled the house, causing Sakura to shudder in revulsion.

Men and their stupid habits…

The sounds ceased a few moments later and Naruto moaned pathetically.

"_I'm dying…"_

"_It's your own damn fault_." Sasuke was saying, voice slightly softer but still annoyed. "_Better?_"

"_Not really, but that thing you're doing is nice…_"

"_Shut it. Are you done?"_

"_I'm not sure…"_

Sakura sighed loudly as the water began to boil lively in the kettle. While she looked for some tea around that messy house, Naruto heaved once more and Sasuke seemed to make soothing yet exasperated noises to help him.

She was happy the two most important men in her life had at least found some kind of truce stable enough for them not to constantly bicker at each other, even if the slight change was a little unsettling. At least it was good to know that Sasuke was more than capable of taking care of Naruto – his help had been precious to Sakura, who had not been sure how she would have carry him home if Sasuke had not offered to help.

The pink haired girl found a few leaves in a nearby cabinet and added them to the boiling water, watching impassively as they dyed the clear liquid in shades of brown.

The toilet was flushed and then came the sound of water running, not from the shower but from the sink. Sasuke muttered a few whispered words Sakura could not hear and Naruto made tired acquiesces and inaudible replies. When they emerged from the bathroom, the blond was already walking by himself – staggering would be the most proper word for his pitiful condition – but it was clear that he was still decadently drunk and not really himself.

As Sasuke helped him sit at the table he made a displeased face, but let himself be directed to where his friend leaded him, sitting down heavily and clumsily.

"Let me tell you you'll be having a terrible hangover tomorrow," Sakura said, setting down three mugs on the table and then filling them with tea at the same time that the Uchiha sat down on the remaining available chair beside him. "Now drink this."

The boy nodded but said nothing else, unfocused blue eyes fixed on Sasuke. The stoic man had picked up the mug and was blowing softly on his tea while watching him with a very small frown on his forehead. Sakura also grabbed her mug and leaned on the counter, a little relieved that her friend was at least stabilized.

Silently, she watched Naruto's dejected expression towards Sasuke with worry and curiosity. She had never seen him look at him like that but wondered what the hell was going through his drunken mind at the moment. Now that she thought about it, she doubted she had ever seen the blond show such a vulnerable expression.

"Stop staring and drink your tea, it'll do you good." Sasuke said, for some reason using a soft tone that Sakura had never heard before.

"I don't want to…" Naruto muttered, blinking several times as if he could not see his friend properly. "I'll just throw up again…"

"Even if you do, at least you'll be cleaning your stomach." Sakura said firmly. "Go on, don't be a baby."

"Where the hell do you keep your medicine?" Sasuke asked, setting down his drink.

"What damn medicine?" Naruto asked, confused. "I don't have any."

"Shows how irresponsible you are."

It seemed that Naruto was going to reply back but thought better of it, for he swallowed hard and rested his face clumsily on his wrist instead, still looking at Sasuke with those eyes that were now a little defiant.

Silence settled in and Naruto eventually sighed and tentatively brought the mug to his lips to take a tentative slurp. Confirming that in fact it did not make him feel sick, he took another sip of his tea before setting it down. Sasuke was watching him cautiously with some kind of awareness that he rarely showed.

"What are you thinking, Naruto?" Sakura asked gently, intending to understand what the hell was wrong with him for having behaved in such a way.

"I'm thinking that Hinata-chan must be really worried," The blond muttered, rubbing his face tiredly. "I didn't mean to get this drunk; I just wanted to calm down but got carried away."

"These things happen," Sakura assured him condescendingly, patting his back. "I'm sure she'll forgive you, you know how kind hearted she is."

"Yeah…" Naruto muttered, leaning back on his chair and staring at the ceiling. "But she shouldn't forgive me. I'm the worst."

"No, Naruto, you're not, don't say such things…"

"Yes, I am, and so are you. We are terrible, terrible people… the both of us."

Dear Kami, was he still that drunk? He was not making any sense at all, Sakura considered with an internal condescending sigh.

"You need to rest," She said, setting down her own mug on the table and ruffling his golden hair affectionately. "Please, finish that so we can help you take a shower and go to sleep."

"No…" He whispered childishly, shoving her hand away. "You don't understand, Sakura-chan. This is all wrong… me dating Hinata and you dating fuzzy eyebrows…it's all wrong. It's wrong to lie to them and it's wrong to pretend that this is what we want! It's unfair to all of us, we'll be miserable…"

Sakura felt a jolt of something very unpleasant run her over like a big, wild animal.

Why would he be saying those things, now of all the times? He had been with Hinata for six months now, and she was almost finishing her fourth month with Lee. Sure, it was not love from the beginning and it was progressing rather slowly, but eventually she would come to love him, right?

_Right?_

"Naruto…"

"It's wrong and it has to end…" He kept saying, closing his eyes. "I don't…I think it's wrong to look for love out of fear of being alone because…because it backfires, destiny takes its revenge. It's good to be loved, but is it worth it? The pain we're inflicting… It's wrong to betray your feelings. You should never be with someone if you still love Sasuke, Sakura-chan. Even if he doesn't feel the same way, you should live your life happily and freely until someone comes that'll make you forget him. That's what love is, and that's the right thing to do."

Opening stormy blue eyes, the blond stared into Sasuke's onyx conscientious ones.

"Because it's wrong to be with someone while thinking of someone else," He muttered. "Thinking how beautiful they are, and how we wish our partners could be them. It's not right."

Did that mean Naruto was in love with someone else too? That was new.

The Uchiha's expression did not change at all, but he stared back at Naruto unblinkingly as if he feared to break to contact. It was like he was trying to read him at the same time that he wanted to tell him something. This particular exchange of looks did not go unnoticed by the strawberry haired teen.

"I think," Sasuke said, very slowly. "That we should forget the shower and just take him to bed, Sakura. Right now."

"I don't want to, you bastard!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table. "I'm trying to make a fucking statement here, so don't shrug me off!"

"You're drunk, moron. It's not like anyone will take you seriously," Sasuke said coolly, standing up elegantly and going over to him to once again help him get up, not paying attention to his protests. "Sakura, please go and find something for him to sleep in; we have to get him out of his _yukata_."

"Nooo, Sas'ke, stop being a jerk!" Naruto mumbled, fighting off the raven's hands and numbly getting up on his own. Sakura bit her lip but hurried off to Naruto's commode to see if she could find a t-shirt or something for him to wear.

"Do you mind ceasing your ridiculous fighting and let me take your clothes off!" Sakura heard Sasuke groan, once again fairly aggravated.

The girl felt her cheeks redden a little because she actually was a little embarrassed by the thought that the Uchiha was actually going to help Naruto strip. She was rather happy that her back was now turned to them.

"Noooo, 'cause you're not listening to me!" Naruto mumbled, grumpily.

"And what is it that I'm supposed to listen to if you can't formulate a single coherent sentence?"

That wasn't really true because the blond might not be sober, but she did find perfect sense in what he had told her, which did not mean she liked hearing it.

And then there was silence. A sudden, deadly silence that fell upon the tiny apartment that froze Sakura from head to toe with fear. She turned around at once, expecting to find out that Naruto had fainted or that Sasuke had used some kind of Jutsu to silence him. Unfortunately for her, that was not what she saw.

Letting the orange t-shirt she had picked up slip from her fingers to the ground, her heart almost jumped out of her throat and her legs threatened to give away.

They…they were kissing.

Or better, Naruto had apparently grabbed the collar of the brunet's _yukata_ and pressed his mouth clumsily over his in something that could not be called a kiss. Except the meaning was the same.

Sasuke looked somewhat mortified for the first time, hands reaching out for the blonde's shoulders to push him away slightly. They broke the contact and Naruto's blue eyes shone at him with such hopelessness it was heartbreaking.

Sakura could not breath, could not move, and too petrified to do anything at all.

"What the fuck are you doing?" The Uchiha hissed, almost inaudibly.

"Shut up, you're the worst person I've ever met!" Naruto said loudly, gulping in frustration and staring into Sasuke's terrifying eyes rebelliously. "How can you do this to me? You indulge me but expect me to keep away and play by your rules! Why won't you give yourself to me? Why can't I have what _he_ has? I don't want your pretty ass; you can have mine for all I care! You owe me Uchiha, you also wanted it, so you better pay up or I'll be very angry."

Sakura did not understand a single word that her friend was uttering but was sure, deep inside her heart that she would rather not know after what she had just seen.

"Boys…" she called out weakly, to no avail since both seemed to have forgotten she was there.

"I owe you?" Sasuke whispered, venomously. More than just plain angry he looked something akin to horrified, scared, shocked. "You knew the rules from the start, it's nothing serious! There is no reason for it to be any different…"

"There is to me," Naruto spat, taking a step back and almost falling back on the process but quickly regaining his balance. "And maybe it was…_is_ serious enough for me. I'm changing my life, I won't lie anymore. I want those nights, Sasuke, and I have the right to be given the same chance you gave Neji. I'm breaking up with Hinata and will fight for every bit of you I can get. You wanna know why? Because I _hate_ seeing you and Neji together. I can't support your happiness, and I don't want to."

Sasuke's pale features turned paper white at that sentence, making him look like his soul had just been ripped out of his body.

Sakura, for her part, was feeling like the end of the world had just fallen upon her. She found it hard to even think straight as Naruto staggered towards his bed and started removing his clothes with shaky hands that were more than clumsy.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke said, watching his friend and forcing himself to keep his calm. "You're fooling yourself into believe something that's not there. Don't ruin everything for something physical, don't…"

"What physical?" The younger one replied back harshly becoming mad. "There is no _physical_! There is no actual sex! There should be if it was only that, right? You say how we're attracted to each other and how it's just that, and yet you just fuck around with me because you're scared of me or whatever, but there's something you don't want to let go. If it's just physical why is there no sex? You don't even let me touch you below the waist!"

"It's only been a week!"

"You fucked Neji right away, what the hell is your problem?"

"What the hell is _your _problem?"

"I like you!"

Sakura felt like she had just been hit by something very hard and very painful.

What was that about sex and attraction and…What the hell were they talking about? It made no sense! They were rivals, they didn't get along most of the times, and they hated each other.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sasuke spat back. He was freaking out in a very cold, controlled way, but he was freaking out.

"I said I like you, you complete bastard, or is that too complicated for you to assimilate? Pfft, and I'm the one who's drunk…" Naruto grumbled, still fighting his _yukata_ that refused to open. "Like as in, 'I fell for you'. Like as in 'I'm in love with you'. Like as in 'I'll fucking kill Neji if he makes you fall for him'. Like as in 'I'm fighting for you to make you feel the same way, whether you like or not'."

And Naruto started pacing and fumbling with his clothes in front of him.

And Sakura wished she had just dreamed everything that was being revealed in front of her, so shamelessly.

Was it really true? Her Sasuke and Naruto were…involved? Sasuke had agreed to such a thing? With…Naruto? Why? Why him? Why when he had Neji, someone with whom he obviously related with and clicked with.

Was Naruto in love with Sasuke? Really?

And then she realized that, as much as Sasuke showed how much of a sexual person he was, he would never, ever get involved with his best friend – with whom he had so many things to fix, whom he hated more times than he loved – unless there was something deep inside him to move him. Really move him. If he had sex with Neji right away but was keeping himself away from the blond then…

Sasuke liked Naruto too.

He was scared to admit it, and even more scared to act upon it because it was just that – they had so many things to settle, so many things that were unresolved that he feared it could ruin them forever.

But it was there nonetheless. Whether Sasuke knew about it or not, she did not know.

Hot tears welled up in her minty green eyes before she could stop herself.

Sasuke's mouth was hanging open as his eyes followed the mane of sunny hair. His fists were clenched and he was also shaking with controlled emotion. Sakura could not identify the look on his face, but he seemed thoroughly lost and yet…was that longing, or was it mortification?

Naruto successfully removed his garments and threw them to the floor, ending up only in his green boxers and white socks. He wobbled his way to the bed and got under the sheets, looking almost comically determined.

Sakura felt helpless. Once more she was being left behind. Everybody was moving on, finding their hopes, their dreams, where their hearts lay, and still…

Still they walked ahead of her. Still they fell into each other exclusively while she watched from the shadows.

Still, Naruto was able to be brave like she never could. For that, he had a part of Sasuke that she never had. Still, Naruto looked at Sasuke in such a different way that he looked at her.

Everything she had feared was now happening. All her dissimulated efforts to keep them emotionally away from each other were useless.

Maybe Neji had been right all along. You can't change your fate, no matter what you do.

Neither the Uchiha nor Sakura moved as Naruto snuggled in the sheets and quickly drift off to sleep like the whole weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He immediately began snoring gently and peacefully, showing no more signs of his previous anger and determination.

His mind had been set. He would do everything he said he would do; there was no doubt about it. That certainty made him look as peaceful as he looked.

Would he be at peace if he went after what he had settled himself to accomplish? Would Sakura also feel at peace if she once and for all admitted to herself that she would never love Lee?

And that she would probably never forget Sasuke either?

She knew Sasuke did not love her, but only then did she realize what Naruto's words really meant. If Sasuke accepted to go out with her just to please her, she would always feel like he was doing her a favor.

Could she ever be happy, giving him everything and knowing he gave her nothing but his time in return? Could she live her whole life pretending to love Lee? Would Lee be always this happy and cheerful even if she never loved him back?

Sasuke was breathing hard, a disturbed frown painting his porcelain features. His eyes stared at Naruto's slumbering form like he was a demon, something ethereal and out of this world. Then he let out a defeated sigh and buried his eyes in his right hand, exhaustion emanating from him.

When Sakura's sobs could no longer remain silent, he looked up and turned around to look at her, surprise evident in his eyes. He had forgotten that she had been there all along. For some reason, he looked hurt to see those tears in her eyes.

"I…Sakura, I'm really sorry about this." He muttered, walking over to her hesitantly and placing a hand on her shoulder. Just listening to him apologize, made the girl want to forgive him and Naruto for keeping things from her. "This…this is not what you think, he's drunk…just…don't cry…"

"Drunk or not, he would never say things like this if he didn't mean it," She sobbed meekly, trying to clean her face with the back of her hands furiously. "He's in love with you. This is not a joke. I just…he's right, it's terrible when people hide things, when they lie…I can't do this anymore, I can't lie to myself either. He's so brave, you know? I could never be like that…"

Sasuke swallowed hard and squeezed her shoulder unsurely. His hand was still trembling.

"I only wish you guys could tell me these kinds of things…" She muttered, looking up at the love of her life angrily. "Why is it that neither of you can do it? We're family, damn it! I don't need to go through these unexpected things, it would be so much easier if we could just talk because…no matter how I feel, what I want I…more important than my love for you is the love I have for our team, for this family. I'd rather never have you than lose either of you."

"I know, and I'm sorry for underestimating you." Sasuke muttered. He was shaken but was doing his best to conceal it underneath a heavy frown. Sakura knew he was more upset by what had happened before than by her tears, which did not mean that he was not being honest about not wanting to see her cry. The raven might be cold and uncaring, but when he wanted he could show affection and worry. "I'm sorry for doing this to you. You are…you are a good person, and a good friend, I…"

"I want to know everything, Sasuke-kun." She surprised herself by how firm her voice came out. "Let me help you. Both of you. I want to be there for you! This is very serious! This could ruin everything between you guys, and I can't accept that!"

"I know, Sakura."

"Let me be there for you. Please, tell me what's going on…Let's be friends and act like it for once."

Sasuke stared at her gently, his lovely eyes tired and a little distant as his thoughts clashed between letting her inside that little confusion or not. What seemed like hours later, he nodded slightly.

"Alright." He accepted, brushing a few of her tears away with fingertips that felt so kind. "Let's be friends for once."

Sakura only smiled, knowing that it would be difficult to hear the whole story, knowing that that would not change the way Sasuke saw her but knowing that, at least, she could be there for him and Naruto; could protect them if she had to. If it was worth it, if they finally inserted her in their own little world, she would be happy. If Sasuke finally acknowledged her as someone worthy of his time…that would be more than enough.

She would just have to deal with it.

* * *

><p>*Festival<p>

**Hot Springs


	10. Chapter Nine: It's On

**A/N:** As always, thank you for said reviews, and keep them coming, they feed my inner muse!

Thank you to my lovely beta, **Midnight Essence** who is always so supportive and understanding of this fanfic! Love you to bits!

I hope you guys like/hate/howl/whatever this chapter. As long as it makes you react, that's all I'm aiming for!

**Chapter Nine: It's On**

Hangovers were the worst thing in the world and Naruto was the living proof of that.

Waking up the next morning to an incredible sunny day had been particularly difficult for the young Jounin considering the sharp headache that he had. Moving while lying down was a hassle, but getting up proved to be even more difficult, especially when the recollection of what had happened the night before invaded the back of his mind like a sudden, powerful wave of unpleasantness.

He had confessed to Sasuke… in front of Sakura. And he had said things in a way that he would never, ever consider saying had he been sober. Actually, had he been sober he would have said what he wanted very, very differently.

Rolling around in his bed he buried his face on his pillow, heart racing and cheeks burning from embarrassment. Naruto felt like shit, but still; all he could think about was what he had said and Sasuke's horrified face.

_And I kissed him in front of Sakura-chan! And the things I said, that was so not how I wanted to talk to her about this! She must hate me right now!_

_Sasuke must be so mad at me!_

_And I kissed him after throwing up, too!_

_Heh._

_Well, serves him right, damn bastard…_

Despite how terrible the whole situation seemed, the blond was a little glad he had managed to let out all he felt, all he wanted to say. He had not meant to get so drunk to begin with, all he had wanted was to have a drink and calm down his jealousy towards Sasuke and Neji, but then every time he thought about them his anger seemed to boil even more. When he realized what he had done, he was already drunker than he had ever been, and that was saying a lot since it took a lot of alcohol for his system to stop functioning properly.

Sighing loudly, Naruto forced himself to focus on what was ahead of him from now on – talking to Hinata, explaining things to Gaara, and to Sakura and, worst of all, dealing with Sasuke. The road would be long, but he had to take it with as much energy as he could because that was what he wanted. What he really wanted.

When thinking about it, the Shinobi realized he had never wanted anything this much since the day he swore to himself that he would become Hokage.

He would not back away anymore, and had decided to stop fearing the outcome. There was no way he was giving up on this, on Sasuke, no matter how much trouble the brunet could be.

Mumbling to himself, the blond got up slowly and prepared for the long day ahead of him, the one that he was sure would not be remotely easy.

First things first, Naruto decided that his priority right now was to make things clear with Hinata once and for all and take advantage of his recent growth in balls.

After taking a long shower, eating something and putting on the first wearable thing he found, Naruto made his way to the Residence where Hinata used to work when off missions.

He found the pale eyed girl in the room where every mission was evaluated and ranked; she greeted him with a small concerned smile but seeing how guilty and serious her boyfriend was when he asked to speak to her privately, she became unsure.

Hinata let her other two colleagues know she was taking an early break and obediently followed a silent Naruto all the way to the rooftop, where they had agreed they would have enough privacy to talk freely.

The boy was feeling a little uneasy about what he was about to do. Not wanting to hurt the fragile looking girl was something he had to keep in mind – she deserved his honesty, but most of all, she deserved to know that he cared for her and that she did nothing wrong, meaning he had to use his words and actions very carefully.

Determined not to let her fearful expression stop him from doing what was right, he started talking, slowly but firmly, not allowing himself one single moment of weakness.

He told Hinata everything that had to be known about those weird feelings he got from the beginning of Sasuke and Neji's relationship, how that anger did not seem to fade, Sasuke's absurd behavior, the licking, and the kissing.

Even though it hurt to see those beautiful Hyuuga eyes become wide with shock and confusion, Naruto kept his gaze locked on hers as he went on, not giving her a single chance to ask questions. Fortunately, she did not seem like she wanted to ask them. Naruto realized she was too shaken for that.

Then he told her about how much he had come to feel like he wanted to become closer to his best friend and how they had somehow managed to get involved again. And again. And many other times more.

Despite making it clear that they only kissed and didn't really do much more, that was the point where Hinata finally started to cry, the sudden, incessant tears causing her eyes to look like marine crystals. She wasn't sobbing or crying loudly, but still Naruto stopped talking – feeling a little guilty – to give her some time, fighting the urge to hug her for comfort because he thought he hadn't the right to do such a contradictory thing when he was clearly hurting her.

"Don't mind me just…please, go on…" She hiccupped after a few moments, wiping her tears delicately.

And so he did, but only after breathing in and out several times. The hands he kept inside his pockets were sweaty and restless.

He then told her about the growing jealousy and the constant feeling that he wanted to be with Sasuke but felt like he was going nowhere. He kept Sasuke's personal feelings out of the issue since he did not know exactly what Sasuke thought about all of that, and it was not like it was his place to talk about another person's feelings.

The blond explained to the blue haired girl that he had just realized he was in love and therein laid the reasons that led to his drunken state the night before. Finally, he told her about how he had already confessed and was going to give Sasuke some time to think about it properly.

"And it's not like any of this is your fault at all; I really like you and you've made me really happy during this time we were together," Naruto said, making sure that his voice expressed exactly what he was feeling while saying it. "You're an amazing girl and I appreciate everything you've done for me. I respect you and that's why I don't want to lie to you anymore, because you don't deserve it. I'm not good enough for you, Hina-chan…"

Hinata actually let out a small, constricted laugh at that and shook her head from side to side.

"So…you're telling me you… want to break up?" She asked softly, a gentle but sad smile gracing her lips as she kept fighting her tears with her hands.

"It's for the best. I can't be more honest than this; I can't do this to you anymore. It's not fair to either of us."

Hinata nodded like a little lost child but straightened up with as much dignity as that whole situation allowed her before sighing.

"I never really expected that you could be the type of man who cheated behind a person's back," She muttered, but not really in an accusatory way. "On the other hand, you were brave enough to tell me the whole story, inclusively telling about the person you like. For that, I am grateful."

"I'm really sorry…"Naruto apologized, sincerely, still trying his best not to reach out and touch the Kunoichi. Getting physical, even if not with ulterior motives, would only make her more resentful. "I was an idiot; I was too focused on how much everything was new and somewhat exciting and completely disregarded your feelings…"

"You don't have to be sorry," She said, her watery smile opening up a little and becoming genuine. "I was the one who kept hoping that you'd come to love me someday. I should've never put that burden on you by confessing, it was foolish of me…"

"Hinata, I do love you," Naruto said, firmly to make sure she understood that he was telling the truth. "Very much... I would've never have become this intimate with you if I didn't. I just… don't love you like _that_. I don't think you deserve having me by your side when I'm thinking about someone else. You deserve someone that gives everything to you."

"Thank you," She whispered, sniffing a little, shiny trails of tears marking her porcelain skin. "I do know that, you don't have to explain anything else. You're being as honest and serious as you could possibly be, and I understand. I honestly thought you were going to break up with me much sooner for other reasons since we're both so different. Still, I'm glad I got the chance to be with you."

"Yeah, me too…" Naruto said, smiling as well. "I bet your dad will be ecstatic about this, so look, something good came out of it!"

Hinata laughed with amazing good mood despite the situation and Naruto felt himself relax. She really was a wonderful girl, he thought. Or maybe she was hurting terribly inside but cared about him too much to let him see just how much it was affecting her.

The wind was blowing gently around them, causing her beautiful long hair to billow around her as they stared at each other.

"Can we…can we still be friends?" She asked softly, wiping her face one last time.

"Of course!" He exclaimed at once. "The best of friends! I wouldn't have any other, you should know that."

"I'm glad."

They still looked at each other, coming to some sort of silent understanding and agreement before they finally had to part, for the first time in a few months, to go their separate ways.

"I…what are you going to do?" The Hyuuga princess inquired slightly concerned. "About Sasuke-san, I mean…"

"I don't know;" The blond admitted, shrugging helplessly. "As I told you, I confessed yesterday and then passed out, I haven't seen him since, and frankly, I'm a little scared to."

"He must have some feelings for you," She whispered, clearly trying to be the friendly shoulder despite how sad her eyes looked. "I… don't see him doing something like that unless he did like you back."

"Yeah, well, but he's a shitty bastard and surprisingly coward when it comes to feelings," Naruto commented, refusing to acknowledge the sadness he saw. He had to stay firm, for himself and for Hinata. "I don't know what will happen; all I know is that I won't pretend things are the same when they aren't."

"What about Neji-nii-san?" She asked. "I mean, I know he and Sasuke-san are just trying out for a relationship, but still I don't think he would be insensitive enough for not suffering if they broke up. I don't want him to suffer, Naruto…"

She was so serious about it, it was rather awkward.

"I think Sasuke really likes him, I doubt he'll just leave him because of me," The boy muttered, sighing. "It doesn't matter, I don't want to hurt Neji either, nor will I do anything to break them up. I may like that stupid jerk, but I'm not going to force him to be with me if he doesn't want to. Don't worry about it."

"I…I won't," Hinata bit her lip and blushed faintly. "I want you to be happy, Naruto, so…just be careful and do what's best for you and…you can count on me if you need anything."

"Thanks."

"I'm serious…" She persisted. "If you ever need any help or someone to talk to or…or anything…tell me, I… I'm here for you..."

Ah, there it was. Hinata had cried, looked miserable, understood him, supported him, offered her friendship…but that was the moment where her voice really cracked into pieces, voicing something that he had been afraid of listening to, something that showed just how much she was feeling down.

Naruto could not keep his composed façade anymore. He was terrible at it and Hinata was…well, Hinata – the girl that had given her all, that had changed for him, that had defied her fearful father for him; she had been there for him and let him know what it felt like to be loved, romantically and non-romantically.

She was the first girl he had slept with, the first girl he had kissed.

He may not have been in love with her, but he had learned to love her as a good friend and as a companion.

So he did what his heart told him to do at the time, because even if he wanted to just leave and not give in to it, he just couldn't, not after what they had been through and all the time they spent together – Naruto took a step forward, stretched out his arms and wrapped them around her small form, hugging her tightly.

Hinata shivered at the touch, as if she had lost her confidence towards him now that they were no longer a couple, but eventually she hugged him by the waist and let out the last tears she had to shed for the person she had loved all her life, who was no longer hers.

Naruto held her and listened to her gentle sobs, stroking her back affectionately. When she uttered her last hiccup, he used both his hands to cup her cheeks and tilted her head up before kissing her on the lips.

It was not a passionate kiss, but a slow, loving one, the kind that was filled with softness just the way he knew she liked it. He did not care about the salty taste of her tears or how abnormally dry her mouth felt.

Hinata gave herself wholeheartedly and they kissed for a while before she broke the kiss and pushed him gently away from her until they were at arm's length, no longer touching each other.

"I…I have to go…"She whispered, breathing deeply, once more a very pretty, pure smile gracing her lovely features. "My colleagues… they'll get worried if I'm gone for too long."

"Okay…" Naruto whispered. "Please don't look so miserable, Hina-chan. I don't want to see you cry. You're such a strong person; don't be so sad because of me."

"Don't worry about me," She said, with poorly concealed joviality. "I'm fine. I'll be fine as long as I can still be a part of your life."

"You'll always be a part of my life, no matter what."

Naruto's blue eyes looked into Hinata's opaque ones as he reached out one hand to wipe the remnants of sticky tears from her baby soft features.

With one last smile and a small bow to him, the girl turned her back on him and left the rooftop without looking back, long hair waving elegantly behind her.

Staring at the deep blue sky, Naruto breathed in several times, rubbing the fingers he had wiped Hinata's tears withs together and still feeling the price for what he did to the person that could have been his wife.

One down; a few more left to go. Hopefully, talking about this with Gaara and Sakura would not be as emotionally draining as it had been with his ex-girlfriend. Of course he would speak to the Kazekage first; he had some serious apologizing to make for the way he had talked to him.

Sakura…well, hopefully Sasuke had already explained some things to her so…

Still, he was scared to meet her too.

And surely, talking about _it_ with Sasuke would bring back a whole new weight upon his heart.

Right now, though, he had to get back home to dress up for work and had other things to think about…and probably the wrath of his friends from the other teams to deal with when they found out about his and Hinata's breakup.

_One step at the time. It'll all be over before you know it._

000

The news spread like the wind that same day, reaching everybody's ears at the speed of light. However, the story that had been on everybody's mouths was a little different from what had really happened.

Rumor had it that Hinata had been the one to break up with Naruto. Some said it had happened because her father had finally threatened to disown her and give the future position of head of the house to Hanabi, some said she had somehow stopped loving him; others said she had another lover. Other rumors said that their relationship had been on bad terms for a while now. The final, and probably nastier rumor claimed that Naruto never loved her and that she, finally realizing it, got fed up and dumped him, which would be a rather out of character thing for Hinata, but it was not like every villager of Konoha was aware of the Hyuuga heiress' personality.

Sasuke knew the truth. Hinata would never break up with the love of her life no matter what. Naruto had kept to his promise and the girl, probably scared that their friends would react badly to their break up, decided to spread word that she had been the one to blame. It was a noble, selfless thing to do, but it was not like Naruto deserved it.

Sasuke spent the day trying to avoid the blond at all costs and luckily, Naruto seemed to be avoiding him as well since they never crossed paths where they usually would. The break up let the Uchiha know his friend had been serious and remembered everything he had said while drunk. Now, all Sasuke had to do was come to terms with himself and sort out what _he_ should do, what he should think, and most importantly, what he felt for his rival.

Call it tough luck, Sasuke was finding it hard to even think about anything unrelated to Naruto's voice saying "I'm in love with you", let alone sort himself out.

His day had been pure hell. He could not focus on anything at all, his mind kept replaying Naruto's words, his heart kept beating like he was constantly running a marathon and it was hard to breathe. He was in a terrible mood and could barely eat, drink, or listen to what people said to him at all.

He was panicking, terrified and confused, helpless as to what to do or what to feel but somehow, that bad mood was caused by the fact that he was not as annoyed by his friend's confession as he should be, considering he was committed with someone he did not want to let go so early.

Attraction was one thing, but love? Love was stepping on dangerous grounds; it was taking a leap of faith that could either build or break them. Did Naruto even have the conscience to understand how disastrous this whole love shit could be for them? Did he understand how damn _serious _what he was proposing was?

What really undid the raven was the fact that, for the first time ever in his life, he seemed to be in a permanent state of euphoria that he considered very bad for not _feeling_ bad. It felt unfamiliar but good in a really troublesome way.

He was angry at himself for not being angrier than he was. He was furious that he had somehow felt relieved that Naruto had broken up with Hinata.

But still, he was scared. So scared and confused he did not have a clue what to do.

Sakura had wanted to talk with him but Sasuke had found himself way too distracted to be able to have a coherent conversation, so he promised her that once he and Naruto had settled some things, the they would both talk to her and explain everything and that, for now, she did not have to worry about them. She did, of course, looking concerned and bitter, but promised to be patient and not interfere until they had solved their own issues first. Sasuke had a feeling he should not have told her that Kakashi knew about the whole thing, but it was too late now, anyway.

As a sleepless night and a troubled day went by, Sasuke came to the conclusion that he had absolutely no idea how to solve things with the blond if he could not even solve his own issues.

He knew he had to come to a conclusion but at the same time, he felt like it was unfair that Naruto put such a responsibility on him by almost forcing him to acknowledge his feelings.

And the real problem here was, did he?

000

Three days later the world seemed to have picked up its pace once more. After the initial shock of both their friends from the other teams – who kept nagging both Naruto and Hinata to know exactly the reason for their break up – life went on as normal apart from a few changes. Kiba was abnormally cheerful every time the blond met him and Neji eyed him with such a suspicious look that made him shiver with uncertainty. Did the Hyuuga look at him because of Hinata or because he suspected something? Sasuke would not dare to tell his boyfriend about Naruto's confession, would he?

However, Naruto kept his doubts to himself since he had not set his eyes on his raven friend ever since that night and he would be damned if he went and asked Neji about it. As a matter of fact, as much as he wanted to speak to Sasuke, see Sasuke and know what Sasuke thought, he did not dare to make a move to seek him. If the Uchiha needed time, he would give it to him, even if Sasuke was doing a great job of pretending he did not exist.

The whiskered teen had not dared to speak to Sakura either and was actually rather surprised that after three whole days she had not barged into his house or his workplace as soon as she could to make him spill the beans.

Even so, Naruto was thankful because breaking up with Hinata, the pressure from their friends to know everything – especially from Ino, who was real nuisance and pretty nosy when it came to these sorts of things – and the now familiar feeling of anxiety he lived with every single day was exhausting him. He had not even had the heart or the will to meet with Gaara to apologize and explain – not that he knew how since the Kazekage could be ruthless when he wanted to, and since Naruto had never seen him directly mad at him, he did not know what to expect.

Naruto missed Sasuke. All he thought about was Sasuke.

Was Sasuke feeling the same ecstatic way? Was he eager, did he miss him too? Was he keeping himself away because he needed to rethink his priorities, his desires?

Even though he did not wish to keep the same kind of secret affair they had before, he missed being around Sasuke, missed touching him and listening to his voice. He even missed sparring with him and fighting with him.

Naruto did not know what would become of them, but he had to be firm and stand his ground no matter what. He would have what he wanted or nothing at all and that was why he was in a hurry to confront him about it.

But one thing was certain: he would be in big trouble if the brunet for some reason was angrier than he thought.

The night was warm but a little cloudy as Naruto made his way for his appointed dinner at Iruka-sensei's. Despite not really being in the mood to socialize and hang out, his former academy teacher had invited him that same afternoon after classes in such an excited way that the boy found it hard to refuse.

"_You have to get back on track, but you'll never make it by isolating yourself!" _The Chuunin had said in his fatherly way, sensing his student's foul mood; and Naruto simply just could not say no to him.

So there he was, standing at the door of one of his most important people in the world. Wanting to make it as quickly as possible so he could go home and get some much needed rest, he knocked energetically on the wooden door.

Not even five seconds went by and the door was opened, revealing a very cheerful, good-humored Iruka who was wearing a simple white apron.

"Naruto!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, almost scaring the shit out of the blond. He had the hugest of smiles. "You came!"

"I…of course I did; I said I would!" Naruto said, a little surprised by his sensei's sudden exuberance.

"Well, don't just stand there, come on in!"

The boy was pulled inside by his arm and stumbled a little before finding himself in the comfort of Iruka's small but tidy apartment.

"Make yourself at home." The brown haired man said, while Naruto removed his green vest and hung it in the coat hanger by the entrance. "We've got company, I hope you don't mind."

"Not really…" Naruto muttered, taking off his sandals. He did, actually, since that would only delay his arrival home.

When he followed Iruka to the kitchen he was not expecting, at all, to see the people he saw there.

Sitting at the table was an equally happy looking Kakashi and beside him was none other than…

Sasuke.

Naruto stopped himself at the kitchen entrance as the air suddenly left his lungs.

"Yo, Naruto!" Kakashi greeted, raising a hand, but just like with Iruka, his joviality did not infect the blond. Well, not that Sasuke's equally astonished expression helped anyway.

The Uchiha, like him, was wearing the dark garments that made part of their usual Jounin uniform and looking at him like he had seen an ugly insect. Naruto found it kind of funny that his pale complexion turned even paler at the same time that a slight blush colored his cheeks.

"Kakashi…" Sasuke uttered, calmly but coldly, dark eyes still fixed on Naruto's. "What exactly is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, nothing much," Kakashi said happily, ignoring his threatening tone. "I just thought that since you've been looking so depressed lately and scared shitless to meet him it would be a good idea to have a little family reunion."

"What…family reunion?" Naruto asked, confused and nervous beyond himself. After three days there he was, standing in front of the person that he had been avoiding, and said person did not look pleased to see him. Or was Sasuke just as nervous as he was? Naruto's mind was running too fast to process anything.

"I'm going to kill you, you pervert…" Sasuke huffed between clenched teeth. "You're so dead, I'm going to…"

"Calm down, Sasuke." Iruka said gently, going over to the stove where several pots were already fuming and taking a look at the food.

"Little Sasuke-chan here has been brooding over your little confession," Kakashi explained the blond boy. "He said you guys haven't seen each other for two weeks now…"

"It was three days, you damn fool!" Sasuke groaned, rolling his eyes and burying his face in his hands.

"Whatever, three days feels like forever when you're in love," The masked man dismissed, with a dramatic gesture, "The point is, someone had to make you guys…"

"Wait, you told him?" Naruto yelled, eyes darting to Sasuke's head in dismay. "I can't believe it!"

"Well, I am his father figure." Kakashi defended, with sarcastic pride.

"You're nothing of the sort and I'm serious regretting the day I met you!" The raven shouted, lifting up his head and looking at Kakashi with murderous intent.

At least Sasuke was as embarrassed as Naruto was. His face now resembled a very ripe tomato and his eyes were teary from, what, humiliation? It was rather hilarious to the point of making Naruto want to make fun of him had the situation been different. Still, that did not dispel the fact that the younger one wanted to bury himself in the deepest whole he could find.

"What I don't understand is why _I_ wasn't told about this whole thing!" Iruka intervened, waving a large spoon in Naruto's direction – who still had not left his safe place by the entrance – with a frown. "Honestly, I thought you trusted me! Had I known about this I wouldn't have nagged you about Hinata-chan!"

Naruto made a face.

That was way too much information! Kakashi knew, Sasuke had been telling him the gods knew what and now Iruka-sensei was added to the matter and…

"I didn't tell you because it wasn't supposed to…Argh, what the hell is going on here? I don't even…"

"Don't be an idiot, Naruto!" Sasuke spat angrily, making Naruto look at him once more with surprise. "I made the mistake of opening my fucking mouth to Kakashi, he apparently babbled everything to Iruka-sensei and they set us up so we could meet. It's not that fucking hard to understand!"

"So…you didn't know I was coming?"

"Of course not!"

"Come on guys, it's just dinner." Kakashi said, patting Sasuke's shoulder and shrugging like he could not see the reason for their tenseness.

"Yes, and we are all going to eat together and be civil like grownups instead of pussies or else!" Was Iruka's firm reply as he waved the spoon menacingly once more, brown eyes scanning viciously the other occupants in the kitchen just like Naruto remembered him doing when he was still at school. When the man turned around to face the pots once more, no one else dared to make another comment or defy his words. "Naruto, go set the table, you know where everything is."

With a grunt, the youngest in the house did as he was told, mouth firmly closed and teeth grinding together.

What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He and Sasuke had been set up into 'accidentally' meeting each other. They had been caught off guard and if Naruto was not pleased about it, he could imagine how furious his friend was.

Despite everything – as the blonde's nerves managed to calm down a slight bit as he sat down at the round table in front of Sasuke – Naruto failed to see the reason why both their former teachers had accepted the whole situation and seemed to have joined forces into giving them a push towards…whatever it was that was going to become of them.

Everything was so messed up…

Why would quiet, 'don't-stick-your-nose-where-it-doesn't-belong' Sasuke even say a word about them to Kakashi? Sure, the man had a special way to retrieve information from the Uchiha, but Sasuke would never give anything away unless he wanted or needed to.

Kakashi had mentioned Sasuke had been depressed, brooding, and scared to see him. Did that mean he really had thought about him? About them?

A little flicker of hope lightened the kistune's mood a little.

Dinner went by with surprising ease since neither Kakashi nor Iruka made any attempt to know more about what was going on between the two teens or tried to force them to talk to each other. Instead, they made simple and comfortable conversation about work, the weather, and future plans for the rest of the summer. This made Sasuke relax considerably and Naruto sigh in new found joy. They did not address each other at all during the meal, but kept glancing at each other when they thought the other was not looking. It was awkward and Naruto did not really know what do think of it. Even so, he thought it was rather adorable the way Sasuke turned his head to the side stubbornly whenever their eyes met.

After they finished eating, Kakashi helped Iruka cleaning up the kitchen and Sasuke took the chance to ask the pony-tailed man where in the house he could smoke. There was small balcony in his study room he could use, Iruka had said, and the raven wasted no time in abandoning his three comrades, leaving Naruto to his own thoughts and a little hesitant about what he should do or what to think of his behavior.

_Shit, I promised myself I wouldn't run away…_ He thought, still sitting at the table, unconsciously chewing on the inside of his cheek and staring at the backs of Iruka and Kakashi as they shared tasks by the sink, apparently oblivious to him. _If I don't talk to him now, who knows when I'll get the chance? Better get this over with, I can't get in a worse mood that I am right now._

What the hell was he afraid of when his mind had been made up from the very beginning?

After breathing in and out several times, the blond stood up and headed to where he knew Sasuke was, not really bothering to say anything to the two men in the kitchen.

The study was a small room with many shelves filled with books and a large, low table in the center where there were currently many scrolls unwound and several unorganized paperwork. Sasuke hadn't bothered to turn on the lights, but the light that came from the still lively streets was enough to let the blond see enough shapes and contours to not bump into anything.

The Uchiha was standing outside, leaning over the rail with his back to Naruto. With his dark hair and clothes, he seemed to blend in with the warm night.

Sasuke had to have felt his friend's approach but did nothing to give any signs that he did, so Naruto walked carefully, opening the sliding glass door further and stepping outside. The balcony was narrow and not too spacious, but Naruto somehow found a way to squeeze himself beside the other boy, making sure they were as far away from each other as it was possible – which was not much since their arms almost bumped against each other.

Naruto mimicked Sasuke's position and leaned over as well. Resting his elbows on the rail, he looked at Konoha and noticed for the first time how amazing the view was. Then, he eyed Sasuke from the corner of his eye and saw him watching the set in front of him with a blank but rather peaceful expression on his beautiful face. Amazingly enough, he was not smoking as he had said.

Unlike what Naruto had expected Sasuke was the first one to speak.

"You're in love with me." He said in a soft, almost inaudible tone.

It seemed like forever since the blond had heard that voice that he did not think it strange at all that his heart started beating just a little faster.

"Yes."

That was as straightforward as he could be at the moment.

"Why?"

This time, Sasuke's head turned to him to look right into sapphire eyes that widened slightly.

_Why?_

What did he want to hear? A reason? An explanation?

"I…I don't know." Naruto admitted softly, feeling himself blush. "Maybe I've always liked you but hadn't noticed until we started…_relating _differently, I guess. I started feeling differently. I was jealous all the time and couldn't really think about anything except on how much I wanted to be with you and no one else."

"Is that why you broke up with Hinata?" Sasuke asked, sounding genuinely interested now.

"It didn't make sense to me anymore," Naruto confessed, sighing. "It's not like I didn't like her, but I realized I was being cruel to her and myself. I'm not a dishonest person, Sasuke, it was wrong to be with you and think about you while with her. Besides, I decided I was fighting for you the moment I realized I liked you, so it would be pointless to keep going out with her."

"Fair enough," The raven nodded, solemnly despite how obvious it was that those words had embarrassed him. "Still, I…I can't believe you actually did it."

"It doesn't matter anymore because now my conscious is clear."

"Hn…that's so typical you."

They stared intently at each other for a while, clear tension and unspoken words floating in the air around them like a sickening smell. Naruto swallowed hard, joining his hands together to prevent them from itching with the need to reach out to Sasuke, who was too close even if they were not touching each other in any way that could be considered intimate.

The Uchiha bit his lip, becoming suddenly expressive and showing an air of tenseness.

"Look, I…I'm not going to lie to you, I don't know what to do about this." Sasuke said, scratching his forehead nervously and making Naruto smile unconsciously. For some reason, it was really cool seeing the ever so composed and cold boy so distressed.

"I wasn't expecting you to," The blond replied. "I know how much you suck when it comes to feelings."

Sasuke actually smiled back a little at that. Naruto's heart felt like it was melting, slowly but consistently, like it always did when those pretty teeth showed.

"I'm really no good at this," The brunet agreed, huffing. "Everything is so weird I don't even know which way to turn. It's all so…new and…different from when I'm with Neji."

"How so?" Naruto asked, almost sweetly.

Sasuke huffed.

"I don't know…When I started having sex with Neji, even though I had never done it before, everything was just so…easy and simple. It was always like that, wanting something and getting it easily, whether it was pleasure or just someone to keep me company after a particularly bloody mission. Even now he's so…like me. I put up with him and he puts up with me and that's that. No weird feelings, no demands, no fears...nothing but mutual understanding of what the other needs, of how the other works."

He licked his lips, eyes scanning Naruto's tanned features attentively in a way that made the younger shiver as his voice turned to a lower tone. Was Sasuke coming closer?

_Izanagi, Izanami, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Susano'o… _Naruto intoned mentally with desperation to focus on Sasuke's words instead of how easy it would be to lean in and kiss him. A_nd… whatever ancestors our country has that I cannot remember their names! Shit, I should've studied my history better!_

"With you it's all a big mess," Sasuke whispered, indeed moving nimbly and imperceptibly to break the small space between them. "It always was, and it still is. We've been through so much as friends and as rivals, and then when something more comes up, it's out of control. I have no control whatsoever in any of this and it's driving me crazy. I cannot understand why something as simple as a kiss should make me feel such strong emotions."

Their faces were now mere inches apart. Their noses were touching now, and Naruto could feel Sasuke breath on his lips and did not restrain himself from tilting his head to side teasingly despite not daring to move anymore.

"I don't know why that seems to be such a bad thing to you," The kitsune mumbled, trying to keep his whispered voice steady but failing miserably. "I think it's really exciting."

"Life is not just about exciting, Naruto."

"It's not just about safety either." Naruto replied, touching Sasuke's arm and squeezing it urgently as if to tell him to just _do _something. His body was starting to react to the tension and pleading for more. "I don't… I don't understand what you're trying to say, Sasuke."

As if to appease him, the pale young man leaned forward and pressed his mouth calmly to Naruto's in a gesture that wanted to provide reassurance but did not intend to inflame the other. Naruto felt his whole body relax instantly as he exhaled longingly and kissed back with the same gentleness without really trying to intensify the kiss. Kissing was good and boy did he want to just keep doing it forever, but they had to talk and settle things once and for all.

"What I'm trying to say is, I want you," Sasuke muttered once he broke the kiss and backed away slightly to stare straight into Naruto's heavily lidded eyes. "It's something I've never really felt before, but I'm not sure about this. All along I…wanted to have sex with you and I still do but I'm…unsure about this. There are so many things that can go wrong; our whole relationship could go down the drain."

"So you…like me too?" The whiskered one asked hopefully with his heartbeat completely out of control.

Sasuke bit his lip and rolled his eyes in frustration.

"I might, but listen to what I'm telling you!" He grumbled his voice now a little more authoritarian as he put his hands over his friend's shoulders and forced him to face him. "It's not just about liking or wanting to be together or… don't you see? What if we try out for something more and then it'll end up ruining us? What if it destroys completely what we've been trying so hard to build? Naruto, I can live with what we are now, even with what we were before, but I don't want to reach a point where there will be no fixing anymore. You're… important to me; I've lost too much in my life to lose you too. Do you understand?"

Naruto looked back at him like he had grown an extra head. It was hard to breathe.

Did he understand? What was there to understand?

"I understand that you like me but are scared," He let out with difficulty, feeling his mouth suddenly dry and his chest cold. "Scared to really fall for me. Scared to have to get out of your comfort zone to make it work with me, because Neji provides such a safe and stable relationship."

"I want to protect us." Sasuke said firmly.

"Oh really?" Naruto grabbed his wrists and removed them from his shoulders steadily. "That's so noble of you, but that doesn't change the fact that while you're with Neji, _playing safe_, I'll still be in love with you, wanting to be with you, wanting to be in his place with you."

"It might change," Sasuke hissed impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're giving me all these words of confidence and indirectly telling me to leave Neji, but what if it dies away and you get bored?"

"When did I ever say anything halfheartedly?" The blond inquired voice a little louder than he intended, a very gruesome fury invading him.

"You didn't, but you can't be sure that you'll feel this way forever!" The Uchiha replied back, starting to get a little angry as well.

"Of course I can't, but that doesn't mean I'll be a chicken and just deny my current feelings!"

"That's…see what I mean? How can you want to be with me if we're fine one moment but are screaming at each other in the next?"

"I don't care if we're punching each other's faces into a bloody pulp every day as long as I'm with you!"

"How on earth is that even healthy?"

"How is being with someone just because it's safe healthy? Your priorities are fucked up Uchiha."

Sasuke opened his mouth furiously to reply to that but instead closed it and pursed his lips together in aggravation while Naruto closed his hands into fists by his sides, electric blue firmly fixed on the man in front of him.

The two inhaled and exhaled sharply for several seconds in equal efforts to calm themselves down in order to get back into a coherent conversation.

Once he felt like he was stable enough to speak again, Naruto willed his words to come out with more control than what he felt.

"You don't want to be with me because you're safe with Neji and are scared that we destroy each other in a relationship. I get that." He begun, still panting a little from mental strain. "But I never thought of you as a coward Sasuke; especially when it comes to me. If you want me too, you should do something about it, not piss your pants."

"I'm not pissing my pants; I just think it's too soon to take such a step considering how unstable we are towards each other." Sasuke sighed, clearly fighting very hard the roughness in his voice.

"Right, so what do you want to do, keep doing things in secret like we've been doing?"

"For a while, yes, because I… I want to be with you," Sasuke said, thought gritted teeth as if admitting it made his voice sound screechy in his own ears. "But I'm not really ready to go inside such dangerous territory with you; I'm not risking us at such an early state. Not even two full weeks have passed, Naruto."

Dangerous? Naruto laughed because really, that was all he could do.

For the first time ever since he started getting intimate with his best friend, Naruto wondered why exactly did he have to consider such stupid, cold, ignorant person as his precious one; the target of his most deepest affections. Unfortunately, it was so deep it seemed to him like it would never fade.

Then again, Naruto was not that desperate to consider playing the fool, no matter how much he wanted Sasuke. There was no way in hell that he would let Sasuke play with his feelings for some absurd cause to 'protect' them. He was going to reverse things to his favor for once.

"No way," he declined, shaking his head from side to side and taking a step back, his back hitting the rail that formed a corner. "If you're uncomfortable being serious with me, that's fine, but I'm not going to be your whore whenever you feel like it. So to speak, because from what you said, you still wouldn't have sex with me, right?"

"What?" Sasuke sounded genuinely confused now.

Naruto could not help the internal feeling of pleasure that filled his ego as he watched Sasuke's disbelieved expression. Lifting up his chin proudly, he went on, finding once again the courage and motivation he had thought to be lost somewhere between that whole pointless chatter.

"I broke up with Hinata because I wanted to be faithful to my feelings for you," He claimed, confidently. "I hurt someone that really loved me for you, Sasuke. It's too bad you can't be as brave as me, but oh well; we're different from each other. I still want my chance to be with you, I still want those nights and I'll have them. I'll fight for you, and woo you, but I will not go to you again and will not indulge your whims anymore."

Now that did the trick. Sasuke was completely baffled, all anger and coldness fading from his lovely features to give place to pure horror and awe. He definitely did not see that coming and Naruto mentally patted himself on the back.

"What are you saying?" Sasuke inquired, a little hesitant and slightly fascinated by such an unexpected turn of events.

"I'm saying, Sasuke-chan, that you can keep your Neji and fuck his brains out for all I care," Naruto muttered, allowing himself to smile predatorily and revert his previous move, for now he took a step forward to make sure he was close to the midnight haired teen, reaching out to caress his cheek with the lightest of touches, causing Sasuke to purr in a very sensual way. The blonde's smile grew wider – he was in charge now. "Because you won't be with me like_ that_ until you decide what you want."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide. He was speechless, which was just perfect.

"Oh, but trust me, what I want from you, _you'll_ be the one giving it to me willingly," Naruto finished, slowly wrapping his arms around the raven's neck and pressing himself so close he could feel Sasuke's crazy cardiac rhythm slamming in his ribs. "So you better enjoy what I'm about to do because you might not have it for a while."

As if he knew what his ex-almost-lover was talking about, Sasuke was the one who captured Naruto's mouth in his fervently, arms promptly encircling his waist and pulling him even closer. The kiss grew persistent and heated in a matter of seconds but Naruto allowed himself to give in completely, deepening the act by invading Sasuke's willing mouth with his tongue and receiving an eager response accompanied by wonderful, oh so sexy moans from that powerful but so naïve heir of a long lost clan.

They kissed for what seemed like hours, not thinking about how they were in an exposed balcony where anyone could see them in spite of being night fall already.

After Naruto made sure he had teased the older young male enough – which affected him greatly as well – he broke the passionate kiss by letting go of him and pushing him slightly away.

Opting for summoning a solemn, grave expression, he once more gazed into his precious person's beautiful, lust filled eyes and said:

"I will be betting it on my future Hokage title that you'll be begging to be with me soon enough. Ja ne."

Sasuke's mouth fell opened in horror and Naruto took the chance to place one last peck over his soft lips before turning around and going inside, determined, as always, to do exactly what he had said even if it was the last thing he did.

Sasuke would be his, sooner or later. It was a promise.

But now it was his time to suffer and have a little taste of his own medicine.

The game was on.


	11. Chapter Ten: Days Without You

**A/N:** This was completely inspired by the song 'In For The Kill" by La Roux, because it's bloody awesome and it reminds me of Naruto and Sasuke. Please do listen to it. I keep imagining Naruto stripping in front of Sasuke to the sound of it, but that would be so out of character I didn't even consider writing something like that ;P

Thank you sooooo much for the reviews! Please keep them coming, I fall in love with each and every person that takes the time to appreciate my work, but my heart is like a bottomless pit, so you guys can try to stuff in more love (or hate) to try and fill it, ok? Don't be lazy!

A very special thank you to **kanazerosukenaru** on Adultfanfiction who related the song 'One and Only' by Adele to Chapter Nine of my story. You were so right, the song is totally them! You reminded me how awesome Adele is and now I have a song that is the mirror image of my fanfic. Much love to you! *Hugs*

Thank you so much to my lovely Beta **Midnight Essence!**

**Chapter Ten: Days With(out) You**

Sakura broke up with Lee a few days later, but things did not go as smoothly as they did with Naruto and Hinata. The fuzzy eye-browed boy performed such a melodramatic scene in the middle of the restaurant they had been having dinner at, that in less than an hour the whole village knew about the medic that had broken the over excited, brave boy's heart.

Lee spent the next few days in a very depressed state of mind, and even though Sakura had felt guilty enough for hurting him, she was still given a hard time by Lee's teammates. Guy-sensei went all the way to the hospital to literally yell at her for being such a cold-hearted girl, letting go of someone who loved her that much. After that, TenTen and Neji had paired up to go and talk to her, and even though the brown haired girl was only slightly annoyed by Lee's depression, surprisingly Neji did not waste his time to show just how much he was upset at what had happened.

"_What is this, some kind of conspiracy?" _The tall teen had said, pearly eyes gleaming with anger. _"First Naruto breaks up with Hinata, and now you break up with Lee. There's something seriously wrong with your team if you guys join forces to hurt people who love you and who don't deserve such playfulness on your parts. At least I know who to blame if Sasuke ends up breaking up with me, right? "_

That had been a very low, bitter verbal slap across Sakura's mind and heart because, in a way, Neji was right. Naruto and herself had used other people to fill some kind of void when all along they had longed for the same person.

The rest of her friends did not feel like they had to mention anything since no-one had really felt particularly excited when Sakura and Lee started dating – they had been betting secretly that it would end sooner or later since there was nothing really working in their favor apart from Lee's feelings.

As for Sasuke, he was furious. Well, furious was an understatement; he was livid with anger, but for a whole different reason. Nothing was going the way he had thought it would and, once again, he had been completely caught by surprise in something that was not in his hands.

Naruto had said that he would fight for him and woo him, but nothing of the sort happened in the following days. Instead, the blond Jounin had disappeared, willingly avoiding Sasuke, who became mad.

What the hell did that punk want anyway? Saying such things and then vanishing from the face of the earth? Had he been playing around with him?

The Uchiha tried not to feel affected – after all, he had been immensely pissed that Naruto had confessed and yet did not want to be with him unless he left Neji. He had tried not to feel restless because he knew he was right in wanting to protect them and was sure that he would be able to think lightly about the outcome of things.

Still, as Naruto made no move to keep his word, Sasuke found himself feeling uneasy and resentful of his absence. Somewhere inside of him, between his fury and confusion he had wanted Naruto to mean it. The raven had felt thrilled that his friend was challenging him into falling willingly over his lap. He had been curious and somewhat excited. But now it seemed that all that was gone, leaving him alone with his weird, unexpected false hopes and sullenly patting himself on the back for keeping Neji, who did not lie or throw bullshit at him.

And now, after a whole week of absence, Naruto had casually reunited his team on that Saturday afternoon and Sasuke was about to commit murder.

The four of them were at their old meeting spot by the local bridge, standing and forming some sort of dysfunctional circle – or square, Sasuke could not tell – listening while Naruto had the fantastic initiative to tell both Kakashi and Sakura everything that had happened between them. Kakashi already knew the whole story, but still looked immensely interested to hear the blonde's perspective. The girl, on the other hand, was quiet and pale, not interfering.

Sasuke, who had his hands inside his pockets and his lips pursed together to prevent himself from strangling his friend, gazed at Naruto from the corner of his eye. He was not mad that the boy was telling them everything since he had promised Sakura she would eventually get to know; he was mad that Naruto had the courage to tell her and Kakashi that he was, indeed, in love with Sasuke but did not want to be with him like they had been before. He even repeated that he was going to make Sasuke _want_ to be with him.

He had some nerve after disappearing for so long, the raven thought, chewing on his lip roughly.

Even so, what really pissed him off was the fact that the kitsune had showed up all dressed up like he was going somewhere upscale or something- so to speak, because his sense of fashion was terrible. Still, he looked decent enough despite how off character his outfit was. No that was wrong, Sasuke corrected, getting even angrier with himself. Naruto definitely looked good. He was wearing a pair of pitch black jeans over brown sandals and a blood red short sleeved shirt. He had clearly tried to compose his hair but ended up tousling it even more (which was not a bad thing at all).

Maybe it was the fact that the clothes were so different from what he usually wore. Maybe it was because Naruto was wearing his favorite colors – red and black. Whatever it was, one thing was for sure: In the Uchiha's eyes he was looking damn hot.

"Sooo, since duck butt here dumped me, I'm now a free man," The Idiot was saying in his usual exaggerated good mood, with his hands behind his neck. "Now we'll just have to wait and see."

"I didn't dump you, you dumped yourself." Sasuke groaned with his teeth clenched.

"Tsk… if by 'not dumping' you mean wanting me to be the main character of your double life, no thanks," Naruto muttered, sticking out his tongue to him. "I'm not stupid enough to be your boy toy, and I'm not that desperate."

"Oh, really?"

"Come on boys, don't bicker," Kakashi said, smiling widely behind his mask, amused. "Isn't this a positive thing? I'm sure it'll do you both good to give it some time and think through what you both want as individuals and as a…well, whatever it was that you were before."

"Of course it is!" Naruto agreed, nodding seriously. "Anyway, now that we've got everything settled, I've got to go; I still have a busy day ahead of me."

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked, raising her voice softly and hesitantly to speak. "I thought we were going to hang out more."

"I can't, I promised Hina-chan I'd hang out with her…"

If Sasuke's nerves had been boiling before, they were almost exploding by now.

"I thought you broke up with her." He said, not bothering to hide the cold discontent in his voice. Naruto's blue eyes seemed to glow with light under the sun as they looked straight into Sasuke's dark ones.

"Since when does that mean we can't be friends and spend time together?" He spat, in a rather annoyed way as if he thought Sasuke was silly. "Are you jealous already?"

"As if!"

"That's very mature of you, Naruto." Sakura intervened, smiling a little. "I wish I could be that mature and still be able to be friends with Lee like we were before."

"Oh, you'll get back on track, just give him time to dramatize all he wants," Kakashi consoled her, fondling her pink hair gently. "Anyway, is that the reason why you got all primped up?"

Naruto's previous annoyance at the Uchiha seemed to vanish as his mouth opened in a large grin.

"Nope. I have a date afterwards!"

Something inside Sasuke snapped unpleasantly at that.

"Come again?" His voice came out low and dangerous, causing the blond at his side to turn to him with his hands on his hips.

"D.A.T.E," Naruto spelled out, slowly, stepping confidently closer and talking to Sasuke's face. "I am taking none other than the Kazekage on a D.A.T.E since I'm in his debt for rudely dumping _him_ because of _you_."

"Oh, so Gaara-kun has his eyes on you," Kakashi commented, having an obvious good time. "Good for you!"

"Kakashi-sensei, don't stir things up even more!" Sakura pleaded, sensing trouble coming up.

"You say you like me but still go out on a date with someone else?" Sasuke hissed, feeling the instantaneous wave of both hurt and jealousy running through his whole body.

"Well, yeah..." Naruto said seriously, still abnormally and teasingly close for comfort, face inches away from Sasuke's, eyes blazing with something very pleased and determined. Sasuke noticed he even smelled of very light scented cologne. "You're one to talk, saying you want me but still wanting to be with Mr. Perfect. I am _single_ after all and I also have my own needs. I'm sure you can understand that, can't you?"

"Yes, I can," Sasuke forced his tone to calm down. "But Gaara? You wouldn't even know what to do with him."

"That's because someone never had the decency to teach me. But I'm a fast learner, I'm sure I'll be just fine."

"That is way too much information!" Sakura exclaimed, blushing deeply as she frowned at both of them. "Would the two of you please stop teasing each other!"

_He's bluffing. _Sasuke assured himself, ignoring the raging beat of his heart and Sakura's complaint. _It's all part of his plan, getting this close when others are around, making you jealous, and pushing your buttons. Don't give in, he can't win._

"Good luck with that." The raven said, pressing a hand to Naruto's chest and pushing the boy rudely away from him. But the blond was smiling victoriously now and it bothered him even more. He really did look abnormally nice, and it did not help that Sasuke's body reacted to it.

"I'm all about good luck," He said, winking at him in a provocative way before turning around. "Ahh, I have to go! Staying near you is bad for my heart. See you guys around!"

Naruto waved his hand at his teammates absently before walking calmly away without looking back as three sets of eyes followed him until he could no longer be seen in the crowded streets ahead.

Kakashi sighed and addressed his dark haired student, who looked positively furious.

"I think you know what I'm about to tell you but…he is right in doing what he's doing." The former ANBU said, an entertained gleam shining in his one visible eye. "You can't play with people's feelings just because you're scared of leaving your comfort zone."

Sasuke turned his head to Kakashi like the elder man had said something utterly offensive.

"He is not right at all!" Sasuke spat, angrily. "How the hell can he possibly right?"

"You clearly like him; I don't see why you can't admit it and just do what you want to do."

Sakura bit her lip at that but Sasuke ignored her as much as he ignored Kakashi's exasperated tone.

"That's because he's not being serious!" The boy said, too annoyed to consider his own words or the fact that he did not deny his Sensei's words. "How can I take that imbecile seriously when he does shit like this?"

"You don't understand him at all," Kakashi muttered, shaking his head from side to side. "Don't take things so literally, Sasuke, especially when you don't even understand yourself."

"Fuck that!" Sasuke hissed, clenching his fists and shoving them inside his pockets. "If he thinks he can play his games with me and get away with it, he's damn mistaken!"

Without saying another word, the raven stuck up his nose and turned his fuming back on a very concerned Sakura and an amused Kakashi before storming off with steps that were so heavy that the whole street could hear him.

000

Naruto's tactic wasn't the brightest or the most ingenious in the world and he was aware of it. Nevertheless, knowing Sasuke the way he did, the plan was perfect.

The Uchiha liked to keep an air of indifference and pretend that he wanted to keep to himself. He liked being praised and admired for his qualities and once in a while, he enjoyed people's company and attention. When he was focused on something or when something was important to him he liked to keep its track. Right now, Naruto knew Sasuke's focus point was him. Not giving him the power and the upper hand he usually had would drive the brunet crazy in no time.

It was quite simple actually – all he had to do was keep away from Sasuke, tease him a little once in a while, and make him a little jealous whenever he could and the lack of attention would do the trick. Sasuke was a pretty possessive bastard; he would not tolerate Naruto's indifference, or his playfulness.

The Gaara issue had been something unexpected but Naruto still thought it had been a good idea to use it in his favor. When he had gone and talked to the Kazekage to apologize and explain everything, Gaara did not seem surprised by anything and forgave him on the condition that Naruto would make up for it by still taking him on a date. Not wanting to dump him twice and probably damage their relationship forever, Naruto agreed because, after all, they were friends, right? Gaara may have some sort of interest in him but now that he knew Naruto was in love with Sasuke, there was no harm to it. A date was just that, it did not have to have any emotional meaning to it and Naruto did promise they would hang out.

Of course all these things were simple but did not keep the loud mouth boy from missing his best friend. The first few days after his last kiss with Sasuke Naruto could not even bear the thought of seeing him, knowing that from now on they would be back to being friends…without benefits.

Being in love was excruciating – it hurt, it felt good, it was confusing, it was demanding. Everything was horribly right and perfectly wrong but Naruto was thankful that at least his heart had understood what it wanted.

Naruto missed Sasuke's mere presence like hell and had to make agonizing efforts not to ravish him every time he saw him but still, it was good to know that now, just a little was not enough. He wanted all of Sasuke and would not settle for small portions of him anymore. It was better to risk losing him while trying to have him than be the second person in his life. Sasuke had to know what he wanted for himself once and for all.

Meeting with Hinata had been fun, mostly because Kiba and Akamaru had been with her as well, which Naruto thought was a positive thing. Not that he wanted to throw his ex-girlfriend to the first man that showed interest on her, but Kiba was a good friend and the blond was feeling hopeful that, in time, Hinata could look at him the same way he so obviously looked at her.

The three hung out for a while on the training grounds, Hinata and Kiba sparring occasionally while Naruto watched them enviously ("I mustn't dirty my new clothes!" he had defended) but ended up sparring a little with the dog-lover anyway, just because he was too restless to stay still.

By the time he left those two to grab something to eat together and met with Gaara at the residence, his pants were dirty and his shirt was rumpled, but the other boy simply shrugged off his apologies. It seemed that the Kazekage couldn't care less about his appearance.

"I only hope you still have enough energy to spar with me too then." Was all he said, and Naruto smiled widely.

"I have enough stamina for the both of us!" He had exclaimed enthusiastically. "Bring it on. I'll kick your ass in no time!"

000

It was sundown and Sasuke was sitting on a thick branch at the top of a leafy tree, silently and morosely watching the sparring session that was taking place in the earthy grounds below him.

The eyebrow-less prat and The Idiot were fighting like there was no tomorrow and it was one hell of a fight. Despite Gaara's protective and powerful sand, the truth was that Naruto was putting up with it pretty well – his movements were, as usual, reckless and overly emotional but he was strong and had a sharp perception of his opponent's next move, so he was doing fine.

_Who the hell thinks it's a good idea to spar on a date?_ The brunet thought, huffing with scorn.

Naruto groaned and roared and kicked and punched while Gaara just controlled his sand and occasionally jumped back or forth. The bastard was pretty powerful too. Well, he _was_ the Kazekage after all.

Sasuke had not meant to spy; he had been there first, wanting to think properly and calm down his fury when those two just had to pop out of nowhere to torment him.

He had wanted to leave right away, too annoyed to stay there and watch Naruto hang out with another guy so willingly. However, he found himself too curious for his own good and unable to move away from that so convenient spot where no one could see him.

Was Gaara interested in Naruto? Was Naruto interested in Gaara? Why on earth was the blond suddenly turning to guys when supposedly he was only into _him_?

_Just calm down, you're freaking out again…_

So he stayed and watched them interact to see if he could find something to prove his point that Naruto was just playing around, or something to ease his mind that the Jinchuuriki really was just making up for being rude to Gaara.

Nothing happened at all. They only sparred, occasionally exchanged a few words of mockery and that was that. There was no apparent chemistry, no visible signs of hidden desires on both parts, just normal, common sparring between two long term acquaintances. Somehow, Sasuke did not know if that eased his mind or made him worry even more. And that was as frustrating as it could get.

While he understood Naruto's choice to not want to be with him, at the same time he felt bitter towards it, especially because he was resenting it a lot more than he should.

"_Can't you just have a normal hand on hand combat?"_ Naruto's aggravated, gasping voice uttered from down below as the blond wiped the sweat off his brow with his wrist. _"I mean, geez, I'm fighting that damn sand and can't even get close to you! It's pretty annoying, Gaara, seriously."_

"_I can't help it if it willingly protects me in the face of apparent danger, it's not like I do anything."_ Gaara said, crossing his arms imposingly over his chest.

"_Well, that's just great, but I'm still getting sand everywhere and it's not cool!"_ The other moaned in a rather childish way.

"_You want to do something else?" _Gaara asked simply, shrugging as the bothersome sand slowly retreated to its large gourd.

The boy, Sasuke noticed, was kind of attractive in a very weird, uncommon way. His features were pretty, his eyes unusual and his red, tousled flaming hair looked soft and suited him. He was in shape and had a good figure too.

Did Naruto think Gaara was attractive?

"_Yes!"_ Came Naruto's immediate answer.

"_Then maybe we should go and have dinner somewhere?" _The Kazekage suggested, still keeping a very calm and composed tone, the one that always got on Sasuke's nerves but that Naruto seemed not to mind since he smiled broadly at his words.

"_Now that is the best idea you could've had!"_

Sasuke frowned and scratched his nose irritably. Why the hell did he have to feel so angry? And jealous, even if that was a little harder for him to admit.

Dark, grayish eyes followed Naruto's form as he - now happily – left Sasuke's field of vision with Gaara by his side, chatting quickly about how he wanted to have ramen at Ichiraku and how delicious it was.

Sighing, the Uchiha rubbed his face before checking his watch and noticing with aggravation that he was almost an hour late to his appointed dinner with Neji. He had never been late before.

_Damn, he's going to be so pissed…_

000

Walking was proving to be a remarkably tiring task to Sasuke in that warm, disturbingly quiet night. Finding himself in no mood to spend the night at Neji's, he had left after trying his best to enjoy the nice dinner his boyfriend himself had prepared and realizing he was really too aggravated to be in the company of others – not that the make out session and the additional love making on the low dining table hadn't been immensely satisfying and most efficient in helping him release all the day's stress and frustration.

He really just wanted to be left alone and wallow in his own self-indulgence in the safety of his own house.

Luckily Neji had been sensible enough to understand his decision, which lead to this particular scene where the young Uchiha was now dragging his exhausted feet to get home.

He was fed up and did not even know why. His life was simple but fulfilling. He had the job he had fought so hard to get, had saved enough money by now to live more than comfortably, had a steady relationship with someone who was at his level and indulged him whenever he needed, and had good friends that never abandoned him no matter how harshly he treated them sometimes. Sasuke knew that, despite all the pain he had gone through in the past, he was now a relatively happy and lucky person.

So why the fuck did he have to feel so absurdly unsatisfied and frustrated all the time? Well, not all the time, since it had all started when he had the not so great idea of kissing his best friend. It seemed so long ago and yet, the damage it was inflicting on his whole being was harsh.

Why did he have to go and get involved with Naruto of all people? And why did the blond have to be such a damn honest person? Was their kissing and groping and flirting not enough for them both to be happy? Why did Naruto have to supposedly fall for him? Why did he have to want more?

The strange thing that was _really_ bothering Sasuke, though, was not Naruto's attitude, nor even the fact that he had gone on a date with someone else; it was the fact that – despite fearing for their future together and despite how much he physically desired him – Sasuke did not feel like sex was exactly essential when it came to them. Sure, he would like to have a go at it, and sure, the kitsune made him all hot and bothered, but it was not like _sex_ was crucial and all he felt he wanted. It was something else, something very particular and different, something a little warmer that he did not know what it was but was bothering the hell out of him.

Sighing loudly, the handsome raven stuffed his hands inside his pockets and tried to relax his shoulders by rolling them gently. Sleep would sure be a welcomed bliss that night.

Sasuke was just passing the back of the high walls protecting the Hokage's Residence when a strange, whispering noise made its way towards him through the gentle night breeze. He promptly ignored it at first since he sensed no danger, nor any particularly threatening chakra, but as he walked on, the whispers got louder and he knew that, whoever it was (and it was surely more than one person), he was going to pass by them. Not that he cared anyway; he was only hoping that it wasn't anyone he knew.

But, as he was about to find out, fate was pretty unmerciful sometimes, because he found himself standing in front of the disgusting sight of Naruto and Gaara kissing.

000

Naruto could not believe that he was going through such a situation even though he had somehow been rather conscious of his fellow Jinchuuriki's interest in him. Well, he had been more than aware since Gaara's chakra had been boiling rather lasciviously since after dinner when Naruto had said he would escort him home. Still, he had not, for the sake of the world, expected that the redhead would have the guts to go and actually kiss him – not after he had spent half the date talking about Sasuke. Yet, there he was, pressed against a blissfully cold wall with Gaara's chest and other indecent stuff shamefully pressed against his whole body, Gaara's arms encircling his waist.

The kiss was clumsy; there was too much tongue, and too much saliva, and the eagerness was only a bit slightly too overwhelming for the young Jounin, who noticed that that was certainly Gaara's first time kissing someone.

One could not say it was unpleasant – Naruto deduced it depended on a person's tastes and all that – it was just that it was nothing like the person he liked kissing. And he was sure Gaara should have noticed by now just how much he missed kissing Sasuke and how much he really wanted the Uchiha.

So, why the fuck was such a thing happening when they were supposed to be on a friendly date? And why the fuck did the demon inside him had to get all excited? Right, because the damn fox's chakra was boiling with a vicious hunger for Gaara's own demon power all of a sudden, reason that led him to respond to the gesture with unconscious automation for the sake of it, but without his partner's obvious enthusiasm.

"Now hold on a minute…" Naruto said nervously after having pushed Gaara gently away from him, hands still resting on his shoulders to keep him still. Liquid green fixed itself steadily on brilliant blue. They were still too close for comfort. "I'm sorry, but are we having some sort of misunderstanding here?"

"None that I can think of," Was Gaara's frustratingly composed reply, not letting go of his waist. "This is a date, isn't it? Aren't we supposed to do this when the date is about to end?"

"I…no, this is…when _friends_ go out on a date they're _not_ supposed to kiss, Gaara." The blond muttered, noticing just how naïve his friend was about such matters and still not being able to help the strong blush that invaded his cheeks.

"Not relevant," The Kazekage said, dismissively. "You're single, I'm single, there's nothing wrong with it."

Damn, he was pretty sharp – and surprisingly open-minded – in the most inconvenient moments.

"But I just told you I like…"

"Yes, Uzumaki, I know all about your unfaltering love for the Uchiha and all the drama that comes with it," Gaara huffed, with badly contained exasperation. "So what, you have to remain untouched and be faithful while he's doing whatever he pleases with his boyfriend? What makes you think you have to be that righteous?"

"Nothing!" Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, not really knowing how to object to such a painful truth. "It's just the way I am, I…"

"Am I a bad kisser?"

"What? No, that's not it!" Naruto denied hurriedly, not wanting to hurt Gaara's feelings. "It was good, but…"

"Then just…"

"Ah-ahem…"

When the sound reached Naruto's ears he immediately recognized its owner, which did not mean, for one second, that it was a good thing since the instant fear he felt did not let him understand if he was feeling mortified or just plain relieved that he was being saved from that weird picture.

Gulping, he peaked shyly over Gaara's red head and confirmed his suspicion: Sasuke was standing there, hands shoved inside the pockets of the dark pants of his Jounin uniform in what seemed like a relaxed pose, but looking absolutely terrifying in all his angry beauty.

How unlucky could one get?

"S-Sasuke…" Sadly, his voice was meant to sound cheerful but ended up coming out hoarse. "Wha-what are you doing here at this hour?"

Sasuke did not bother to answer. He wasn't even looking at him but the aura he transmitted wasn't exactly nice. Gaara finally let go of his waist in order to turn around slightly to face the other boy.

"Ah, Uchiha." The redhead said casually as if oblivious to Sasuke's threatening eyes.

"Kazekage-sama," The raven greeted dryly but in a formal tone. "My apologies for interrupting, but I was just passing by and thought I should be polite and say hello."

"Yes, you did well," Gaara praised in equal civility. "I appreciate it. Naruto and I were just hanging out."

"Ah," Sasuke said with a hint of cold sarcasm. "Is that how you people from Suna call it?"

_Fuck! _Naruto thought desperately, sensing danger like it was some sort of odor. _How long has Sasuke been here? If he saw us kissing then…Shiiiiit!_

"I…I was just taking Gaara back to the residence!" Naruto's words came out as hysterical as his sudden laughter. "I thought you were spending the night at Neji's or something…"

"I didn't feel like it." Sasuke said coolly, eyes still locked with Gaara's. "And I'm glad I didn't, since I got to see something…interesting."

Naruto swallowed hard, mouth suddenly as dry as any desert.

Gaara kept his peaceful demeanor, observing Sasuke carefully without making any other efforts to make conversation, immune to the deadly and heavy silence that had crept upon the three of them. Sasuke only looked at him hauntingly like Naruto wasn't there at all, which made him even more nervous.

_He saw! Heavens help me! He's mad, he's angry, he's thinking all kinds of horrible things about me and he won't believe a single word I say ever again!_

"I should be going," Sasuke's voice was louder than usual, colder than usual, but more in control. "You two have a nice evening doing all that hanging out thing you were doing."

With that said, he nodded curtly to Gaara – who nodded back – and walked by them with a steady pace without another word, leaving Naruto with a terrible feeling of discomfort, guilt and pain.

"Sasuke, wait!" He called after him, making an unconscious move to follow his retreating back at full speed but being stopped by a firm hand on his wrist. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Gaara's pleading, yet determined eyes scanning his face.

"Don't," The proud Kage said, not even a single note of hesitancy tracing his voice. "If he doesn't want to belong to you, he needs to know how you feel. He has to know you don't belong to him either."

Naruto bit his lip and forced his tense muscles to relax until Gaara eventually felt it was safe to let go.

He understood what his friend meant, he knew Sasuke deserved a drop of his own venom – and it probably had been a good thing that he had seen them kissing – but it still felt wrong because…well, Sasuke was Sasuke.

Sasuke was the person he was in love with, the person he wanted to be loved by.

Somehow, even though he was hurt, he did not want Sasuke to be hurt as well.

"Gaara…" He muttered, turning to him. "I wish I could be like that – like him. I wish I could just play along and pretend it's all just a funny game. But it isn't. This is probably the most real thing I…"

"You know what's real, Naruto?" Gaara asked suddenly, crossing his arms rudely over his chest as usual. "The fact that I like you and that I don't think all the trouble Uchiha is putting you through is worth it. You deserve better. I could be a better choice."

That was probably the most straightforward and honest confession Naruto had ever heard, and it was baffling beyond reason. The blue-eyed boy could only stare unblinkingly at his companion as it sunk in, word by word.

Ok, so attraction was one thing, but like…did Gaara mean like as in…_like?_ Gaara? The former merciless murderer? A Jinchuuriki? The Kazekage of Sunagakure and one of the most powerful Shinobi in the Shinobi world?

_It sounds almost comical…maybe he's confused; maybe he's misunderstanding because of how the demons react to each other's power…_

Gaara did not even have the decency to blush, and it was unnerving.

"You don't know what you're saying," Naruto said, smiling weakly. "We're good friends and I appreciate that you thought I was worthy enough to go on a date with and all that, but really, you have no idea what you're saying and its implications."

"I had almost seven years to think about this," Gaara contradicted, once more throwing his cards in a lethal way and causing Naruto to feel smaller and more the confused with every word. "Even when I became the Kazekage I thought about it over and over again. I was…fearing you would hate me or find it disgusting, but I gave it a try nonetheless. Knowing now you had been with another man only encouraged me further. You should be happy that at least I know what I want, and I'm not giving it up."

Naruto was speechless. Once again he questioned himself if Gaara had not listened to a single word about his feelings for Sasuke because that was just…epic? Absurd?

Was Gaara saying he had liked him all along? Since they were kids? What the hell caused it?

Naruto could feel Kyuubi laughing evilly inside him, bumping chakra through his body to respond to Gaara's own demon's calling. They were responding to each other's power; there was nothing sexual to it, but the boy was sure that damn fox was tampering with his body because he was feeling hot and his heartbeat increased. He was in such a state of awe that he did not trust himself to open his mouth to say anything.

"I don't want to pressure you, neither do I want to force myself on you if you don't want it," The other boy said, now slightly gentler as he took a step back. "We are friends and I cherish it more than anything. But I do think you should give yourself more credit and give yourself the chance to be loved without complications. Let Uchiha think whatever he wants to think, Naruto, and you'll soon have his final answer."

Numbly, Naruto nodded as if in slow motion, trying to identify what Gaara was feeling but not being able to for some reason. He tried to clear his mind, tried to see Gaara's emotions inside the demon's chakra but realized he could find none because the boy had most effectively closed himself to him.

It was surprising and a bit disappointing.

"In the meantime, live a little," Gaara said, still in his serious and empty tone. "And think about what I just told you. I'll be going back to Suna soon and I would like to take you with me. A little change of scenery might be good for you and I'm sure you would enjoy the good things you could learn there as well. I would like you to be working beside me for a while."

Now that was a bullet through a person's chest, but at least Naruto was able to get his voice back.

"Beside you?" He uttered, disbelievingly.

"Amongst other things." Gaara confirmed. "You've never been in Suna for long and you've never been there alone. I would like you to know more about the place where I was born."

Naruto swallowed hard for the umpteenth time that night before shrugging awkwardly for lack of a better physical response.

"I will think about it," He promised, in almost a whisper. "About…all of it. Okay? But later, 'cause now this is all way too much information for me to process."

"Alright." Gaara agreed. If he was embarrassed, Naruto couldn't tell.

But Naruto _was_ damn embarrassed and his head was spinning like hell. First Gaara kissed him, then Sasuke saw it, then Sasuke left – obviously furious – and afterwards Gaara semi-confessed his feelings and was asking him to go to Suna with him.

Way, way too much information in a short period of time.

"I still expect you to escort me home, even if you do not want to proceed with our previous activities." The red haired boy said simply, raising both muscles where his eyebrows should be. The other one blushed even deeper at the memory. The kiss hadn't really meant anything back then, but now that he knew his friend's motivations it was just odd. Still, Naruto smiled at him unsurely and agreed because that was all he could do.

He could not push Gaara away. They were good friends and the Kage knew who Naruto loved, he knew Naruto's way of thinking. Of course, as Sasuke said, no one knew how the next day would be and maybe someday his feelings would change. Nevertheless, right now was all that mattered and the blond could not afford to hurt someone else who did not deserve it. Gaara was important, and all he could do right now was to acknowledge his feelings, respect them at a far distance and keep being the same person no matter what. No hard feelings, no confusion, no embarrassment.

"Of course!" He said, with moderated cheerfulness, not really feeling like he should put up much of an act since he wasn't feeling it. "I was an idiot trying to storm off like that, I'm sorry. I would never let the Kazekage go home by himself."

Gaara nodded elegantly and gave him a small, polite smile.

"Then please, let's go. It was a weary day."

As they walked towards the Residence and Gaara gradually let his rough emotional shield crumble, Naruto could feel that yes, his friend felt exhausted like never before.

In fact, as the boy watched him worriedly as he got inside the large building, he noticed that Gaara's soul had a lighter aura, but that his heart carried the heavy weight of sadness and doubtful hope.

_I always get myself into some deep shit…_

000

"You're the only one I want to kiss." Was the first and only thing that came out of Naruto's mind a few minutes afterwards when Sasuke opened the door of his apartment wearing only a pair of worn out dark blue boxers and a sleeveless white top, looking smoking hot and more than ready to go to bed.

The Uchiha quirked an aristocratic eyebrow at him, lips forming a thin line, willingly letting him know that he was still mad at him, and probably at Gaara as well.

He looked gorgeous when he was mad anyway, and thankfully that was efficient enough to distract Naruto's euphoria and nervousness.

"Then do it," Sasuke said coolly, one hand on the door frame like he was making sure Naruto did not trespass his property. "Kiss me."

The younger boy licked his lips and forced himself to stay still and not move. He had disregarded Gaara's advice and decided he should go and tell Sasuke what had really happened but ended up saying something impulsive and idiotic that resulted in that particularly appealing answer from Sasuke.

It would be easy, Naruto thought in a daze, to kiss Sasuke then and there. The raven would give in completely and it would heaven on earth and they would do all sorts of cool things on Sasuke's floor or in his bed or…

"No." The answer came out automatically. Good, at least Naruto's subconscious was working properly and proving itself useful when nothing else but his dick seemed to be functioning.

"What if I dare you to do it?"

Ah, Sasuke knew how to throw the darts at just the right time. They knew each other far too well and that was amazing. The way they looked in each other's eyes like they were two predators was amazing.

"You now my rules, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, huskily but confidently despite how much he just wanted to reach out and hold him while begging him to take his head out of his ass and let them be happy forever. "You want to play? Then that's fine by me, but I get to dare you first."

Naruto knew for a fact that Sasuke never backed down on a bet or a dare no matter how stupid, humiliating or difficult it was. It was one of the few things they were similar in.

"Do I get to dare you with whatever I want?" Sasuke asked, curiosity flooding his features and drowning his previous anger.

"No kissing, no snuggling and no touching. Apart from that, anything you want."

"Sounds good. What's your dare?"

"Tomorrow morning," Naruto said, mustering his most confident and intimidating glare. "I want to do something to my body and you'll be doing it with me."

Now that brought the Uchiha's interest to its peak. If he knew what Naruto was talking about, the blond had no idea, but he was sure the Uchiha was thinking all sorts of perversions.

"As you wish," Sasuke complied. "And when do I get to dare you?"

"As soon as my dare is over." Naruto said, grinning mysteriously. "I'll pick you up at nine. Be ready"

"Fine."

"And by the way; you look damn hot in those granny knickers."

Ahhh, he just had to let his tongue loose.

Oh-oh, Sasuke was mad again.

"Fuck you, moron!"

"When you're a good boy I just might let you do it."

As the door was loudly slammed in his face, Naruto burst out laughing.

How he could find some sort of coherent speech whenever he was around the brunet when all he wanted was to get inside his heart and pants he had no clue, but was really proud of himself for it because…well, it was a pretty hard fight, but Sasuke was worth the struggle.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Reaching Out

**A/N:** Here's the new chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoy it; this is the beginning of the end, so to speak, but there are still so many things left to happen! This is the part I wanted to get to, so I'm really excited about writing the next few events.

Thank you, as always, to my dear Beta **Midnight Essence**, and lots of love to those who took their time to review, you're made of awesomeness! *throws kisses your way*

Reviews, good or bad, help and motivate the writer to provide these non-profitable chapters for your entertainment, and this doesn't apply only to me. I'm sure every writer would love to know what you think at least once. I do it, so do it as well, ne?

Now…On with the show!

**Chapter Eleven: Reaching Out**

It was about seven in the morning when the sun came up in the sky and Sasuke got out of bed feeling mentally exhausted and, for the first time in his life, seriously regretting being horrible at understanding that whole 'feelings' issue. He only had time for a shower and was about to start making some much needed coffee when the doorbell rang and he answered it to find Neji, already perfectly dressed in his white Hyuuga outfit and looking pretty healthy in all his mighty beauty. Sasuke thought he was more handsome than usual, but soon dismissed the thoughts because really, Neji was handsome every fucking day of his immaculate existence; he only seemed even better today because unlike him, Sasuke knew he himself was looking like shit.

The sun behind Neji was more ruthless than ever, too. Damn, it was hard to open his eyes properly.

"You look…refreshing." The Uchiha muttered heavily, forgetting his manners as he brought a hand to his forehead to block the rising sun that was just peaking from the horizon.

"Thank you; I wish I could say the same thing about you." Neji said quietly, eyeing him with suspicious attentiveness.

"I had trouble sleeping," The raven explained, shrugging in a way that he hoped would look apologetic. "Do you want to come in? I was just making coffee."

"I appreciate, but no, I have a lot of work on my hands today; I was just dropping by to see if you were alright." The long haired male said. There was a genuinely concerned frown now marking his features.

"I'm fine, Neji." Sasuke whispered, a little taken aback by that intense and abnormally expressive look.

"You didn't sound or look fine yesterday," Neji replied. "Even if you're always in the mood for sex – and yes, I admit it can be quite distracting – I did notice something was wrong. The only reason I didn't come to see you earlier was because I suspected you wanted to be alone. So today I came to check up on you."

Neji could be horribly perceptive sometimes, and even though Sasuke admired this superior intelligence from afar, it was rather shocking when that same perceptiveness was directed towards him.

"I was just tired," Sasuke said making sure his expression gave nothing away to the older man. "And I couldn't sleep because it was a damn full moon and my room had too much light coming in. That's all there is to it, so don't worry about me."

If Neji had looked concerned, now his expression changed for one of aristocratic annoyance.

"Don't lie to me Uchiha," He said, coldly but with surprising calm, causing Sasuke to flinch a little at his imposing tone, but he remained as still and impassive as he could. "Do I look like an Idiot or something? I know you better than you think. In fact, I know everything about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke replied, feeling bits of annoyance forming in his nervous system. " I already told you that nothing's wrong…"

Sasuke stopped himself suddenly and swallowed hard, starting to feel a little nervous as Neji pressed his lips together in a way that might look like a stubborn expression but that the younger one knew was of exasperation. Then, the Hyuuga sighed and ran a hand through his slick hair before staring into his lover's eyes with determination.

"You know, I…You don't have to tell me what bothers you if you don't want to," The proud man said firmly but with an unexpected softness behind it. If Sasuke did not know him, he would almost say that Neji was…embarrassed? Or was that just plain impatience and frustration? Whatever it was, the raven was sure he had never seen it before. "I just…sometimes I wonder if my feelings get through to you? It's like no matter how hard I try I can't reach that little something that goes beyond what we have now. It's like you're with me in body but your soul is in a whole different world and I don't know how to make you understand that I worry about you and want you to be able to trust me with anything."

Neji was usually honest, sometimes even harshly so, but this took a little while for Sasuke to process.

It was clear Neji felt something was terribly wrong but he still didn't know what was happening between Sasuke and Naruto, which was a relief, in a way. But what was all that shit he was saying about feelings and worrying and...

Sasuke heaved a sigh.

Either Neji really sucked at expressing himself or Sasuke sucked at understanding other people's emotions. Since Neji was not a particularly emotional person when sex was not involved, it became a little hard for Sasuke to understand that his captain was in fact trying to indirectly tell him something important. Or maybe his brain was just too worn out to give a shit about the meaning behind them.

"What are you so upset about?" Sasuke whispered, with a small, hesitant smile. "I do trust you…you should know that. I'm just…exhausted lately. I don't really have time for myself and you know how much I need to be alone sometimes. You don't have to worry, really."

Neji did not look convinced but his features relaxed a little and he exhaled, defeated.

"Suit yourself," He said, nodding once elegantly. A pale hand moved to brush away a lock of wet hair from Sasuke's forehead gently. "Just remember that more than being your lover or your Captain, I am your friend. I am here for you, whether you like it or not."

Those words made Sasuke's throat constrict for some reason and his heart beat at a quicker pace. Dark eyes trailed over Neji's face for a moment.

"Same here." Was all he could say, grabbing Neji's hand in midair and giving it a weak squeeze before letting go.

The Hyuuga nodded once before suddenly disappearing in puff of smoke.

000

"The day approaches," Haru muttered absently while leaning over the open window in her room and looking down to the lively streets of a sunny day in Konoha. "But he's not ready yet."

"What are you babbling about?" Ao groaned behind her, taking his time at clumsily packing some of the few clothes she brought that had just been properly washed and delivered a few minutes before in a small bag. The blue haired man was rather annoyed that he Mizukage had asked him to do such a low rated job. Why couldn't Choujiro do it since he was much better at doing women's things than he was?

"Sasuke," Haru emphasized softly, her eyes easily finding the two heads she had been looking for in the middle of the crowded village below. The girl did not bother to hide the smile that invaded her lips at the sight of Naruto's bright golden hair and Sasuke's dark midnight one. "Time is running out. We must talk to him as soon as we can."

Yes, everything was exactly as she had predicted. She had seen it all so many times in her dreams that every image and every word was already tattooed in her mind. She knew what had happened before and what would happen in the future. She knew what was going to happen today.

Kirishima Haru also knew what might have happened had Sasuke managed to go away to that snakey man, six years previously.

Recalling those particular dreams was always painful for her because, of all the paths she had seen in Sasuke's fate, that one was the darkest, scariest and bloodiest of them all. It was filled with pain, regret, anger and most of all, hatred. Unfortunately, these feelings were not Sasuke's alone, because the boy would've been intent in scattering them around the world, making everyone who loved him miserable, especially Naruto.

Especially Naruto.

If Haru was to be honest with herself, she would say that despite how much simpler this present path was, the truth was that Uchiha Sasuke's general fate was tainted in suffering and causing pain to others, albeit unknowingly. Unfortunately, the person most affected by it had always – and would always be – Uzumaki Naruto.

Being gifted as she was, if there was one thing she had learned from her ability was to comprehend that each person had but one fate. People were fated to be happy, unhappy, healthy, sick, good or evil. However, there were many paths in life that might be easier or harder to follow, thus causing changes in the course of things, but generally, fate had always one sure thing planned for each person – one thing that would always remain immutable.

For Sasuke, that thing was Naruto. No matter what Haru had seen in the many paths of Sasuke's life, Naruto had always been there, linked to him like another part of him, for better or worse.

When she was a child – and too young to understand her part in Sasuke's life – she had wept many times for them and for her regrettable role when she realized she had no way of making things easier for them.

She had seen their pasts in what she had called "nightmares" and wanted in no way to be the cause of more pain. But she would be, eventually, at least until the day she died. From then on, Sasuke would have another path to choose, but there was no way she could interfere then – she could only pray that the handsome boy did what would be best for him.

_It's not like I care as long as my dream is fulfilled, _she thought, knowing she was lying to herself once more because she knew exactly that someday she would come to care, even if she didn't now.

Still, she had to act quickly; otherwise Sasuke would diverge from this path where she was one of the main characters, and that was not an option because the only path she knew for herself had him in it. Without him, she would have nothing else to look up for.

"We are leaving tomorrow," Ao said imposingly behind her. "Maybe we should talk to Terumi-sama so that she can request a meeting with the Uchiha boy."

"Yes, we should." Haru agreed dispassionately, watching the two young men entering what looked like a small store in one of the most reserved alleys.

"Are you confident that he will accept?"

The girl sighed and turned to her older companion with a small, practiced smile that did not affect him the least.

Ao did not like her, or the formal ease she had around their Kage. She could care less about his feelings, and she would be as polite as her teachings had taught her as long as he did the same.

"I know he won't," She said simply, joining her hands elegantly in front of her belly. "But it is important for me that he knows I have something to offer, so that he will know who to come to when he is in need."

Ao raised a suspicious eyebrow from across the room, his face contorting in disguised disgust.

"I don't see what a skilled, powerful Shinobi like him would want to do with someone who clings so desperately to an almost dead village." He says, scornfully. "I wouldn't want such a weigh upon my shoulders."

"Of course you wouldn't," Haru said sweetly, tilting her head to the side like a pretty doll. "But then again, I can't expect just anyone to be smart enough to know what to do about my village, can I?"

Ao shut his mouth promptly and decided it was better not to mess with that damn smart-assed witch.

000

"I'm not getting a damn tattoo, Naruto." Sasuke muttered venomously as soon as his brain registered the contents of the small shop around him.

"You don't have to get a tattoo, silly, you can just get pierced somewhere," Naruto said excitedly before turning to the fat, dirty looking and heavily tattooed middle-aged man on the other side of the old counter. "I want one in my tongue!"

The raven swallowed hard, something very unpleasant filling his stomach as Naruto browsed through the tray of the many available items the man had just shoved in front of his face. "Oh, there's so many of them!"

"You can't be serious…" Sasuke stated, dumbfounded. "You actually expect me to get something like that on my fucking _tongue_?"

"You could always do something else," The man suggested lazily, not at all affected by Naruto's enthusiasm. "Ears, nose, eyebrows, cheeks, mouth, belly button, penis…you name it, and I'll do it."

Sasuke turned a nauseating shade of pale green.

"Oooh, I bet you're not man enough to do one down there…" The blond Jounin teased, not taking his eyes from all the shiny things he was so happy fussing about, but still grinning like a madman.

"You can only go so far on this dare thing, you idiot." The other boy said irritably, swallowing hard.

What the fuck had he gotten himself into? Naruto was so going to pay for doing this to him.

"You're no fun, Sasuke…Oh, I want this blue one!"

The man allowed Naruto to grab the small, blue metallic thing that would soon be adorning his tongue and motioned for him to follow him to the back room behind the counter. When Naruto winked at Sasuke and disappeared through the curtain that separated the two rooms, the brunet wondered if he should follow them, but something in his gut told him he would not react all that well seeing a tongue he had so many times sucked on like a damn lollipop being tortured and stuck. Imagining the bleeding really wasn't doing it for him either. Not that he was sensible to the sight of blood, being ANBU and all, but Naruto was Naruto.

And Naruto was damn crazy.

What the hell, he hadn't even asked if Sasuke was okay with it, just decided he was going to get his tongue pierced and went all the way with it, no second thoughts!

Of course, it was none of his business, Sasuke concluded, finding himself blushing slightly in self-annoyance as he realized he was putting too much thought into it. They were just friends now; it was not like he had anything to do with whatever Naruto did to his body.

_You're the only one I want to kiss!_

Such a simple statement had been enough to keep the raven fully awake for the rest of the previous night, thinking about how damn embarrassing Naruto's impulsive honesty was, and most of all, how much he had meant it when he had asked the blond to kiss him.

_That damn fool is smarter than I thought. _

He had heard everything Naruto had said after letting Gaara kiss him, but that would never change the raging jealousy he had felt by seeing him with someone else. Worse, he had over looked the mere prospective that some other guy might be interested in the blond.

It had been a new and very painful feeling, like something had been taken away from him and for a moment there, the strong stab of fear cursed through his body so violently that he stopped breathing. Had he been in another situation he would have punched the Kazekage's face and dragged his friend away as quickly as possible, but as it was, all he had been able to do was take a deep breath and move on.

Sasuke had Neji, and Naruto was now single. What Naruto did, or whom he was with, doing whatever, was none of his business and he had no rights there – no right to be angry, jealous, fearful or even possessive.

But he really missed kissing Naruto, thus having been just that desperate, just that frustrated to get _something_ out of him.

It did not matter if Naruto was in love with him. It did not matter that maybe, just maybe it affected Sasuke more that he would like to admit.

Naruto was not his.

_But he could be…He wanted to._

They had nothing to give to each other…or did they?

_Damn, why am I thinking these things? I have Neji, I can't do this to him…_

_Take a leap of faith, _Kakashi had once said. _Just because you're in a stable relationship doesn't mean it has to last forever._

_Sounds easier than it actually is, _Sasuke thought, closing his eyes briefly and breathing deeply several times, while leaning his shoulder against the show window.

Everything seemed so easy when he tried to look at it from an outsider's perspective, and yet, when it came to his own reality, that whole issue was nothing but a messy bundle of emotions.

_What the hell do I want? _He thought, burying his face in his hand.

_Naruto… _

_So what if I like you?_

_What about me? In the end, what am I supposed to do about this if everything goes down the drain?_

_I don't know what to do._

Sasuke bit his lip and crossed his arms over his chest as a chill ran down his spine and his eyes felt unexpectedly watery.

It was getting out of hand. Everything was slipping away from his control.

_I don't know what to do…_

_Naruto…_

He liked Neji. He liked him to the point where he could say Neji was one of the few important people in his life.

Still…

"_Naa, old man, is it going to hurt? I really didn't know you used a wire to do this kind of thing! It looks kinda creepy!"_

Still, no one could make him smile like Naruto did. That damn buffoon who was so opened, so persistent, who made him _feel _everything so intensely, and who made him want more, fight harder, become stronger and turn into a better person.

In a way, Sasuke wanted to find out how it felt to simply belong to someone like his blond rival and forget about the rational side of him that told him how wrong things could turn out.

Would it be so wrong to give himself to the one person that made him feel things he had never felt before? The first person who saw him for what he was and not his name?

The first person who gave him hope?

_Am I…in love with him too?_

000

Sasuke was determined to get his revenge over Naruto's little dare. Getting pierced was just a small thing for him, who was too used to pain worse than that, but still, he could not forgive easily the fact that while his left eyebrow was still stinging unpleasantly, Naruto's tongue seemed to have healed prettily over the last half hour and he was now chatting happily as they made their way side by side to the Jounin Station.

The Kitsune wasn't even talking differently and insisted on sticking out his tongue to him to proudly show the small, blue sphere now adorning it – such a strong and confident attitude for someone who had moaned and complained so loudly while being pierced.

Sasuke had to admit that there was something appealing to that disgusting thing, if not for how curious he was about what it must feel like while kissing. Strangely enough it suited the blue-eyed boy and that really frustrated Sasuke. Everything was just so…

"Ah, I'm so glad it doesn't hurt anymore!" Naruto exclaimed happily, stretching languidly. "Is yours still hurting, Sasuke?"

"It doesn't hurt." Sasuke lied, sullenly, hands shoved inside his vest's pockets.

Naruto grinned like he knew his friend was lying but made no comment on it.

"It really does suit you," He noted, gazing at Sasuke from the corner of his eye, causing the Uchiha to look at him with a rather exasperated look. He would not dare to raise an eyebrow since the damn piercing hurt like hell. "You look like a Rock Star or something, it's pretty cool. I love it that you chose a silvery one."

The raven made a noise with the back of his throat but said nothing because, for some unknown reason, Naruto's gentle compliment made him blush before he could even think about preventing it. Never did his long bangs made him so happy.

"But I'm really glad you did this with me!" Naruto kept on saying energetically, flashing Sasuke a huge smile with lots of white teeth showing. The blond boy smiled very often, but not in that simple, yet so bright way that suddenly fascinated the brunet to no end. "I honestly thought you were going to back out of it, I could never in a million years imagine someone like you would do such a thing, but you really did it! I don't know if I should feel flattered or just overwhelmed!"

_It was a fucking dare; you should know I would never back out of that!_ The Uchiha thought to himself, wanting to say it out loud but not finding the strength to do so when the blond looked so genuinely happy.

The weather was getting surprisingly hot. Either that or Sasuke felt himself warmer than usual.

His heart started beating painfully fast.

"It's weird, but I guess it's one of the things I really like about you," Naruto said calmly, eyeing the streets in front of him with a dreamy expression, oblivious to Sasuke's anxiety at his words or the new stiffness of his shoulders, not at all bothered by the lack of conversation from him. "The fact that, despite everything, you can always set your pride aside to bring me down whenever you have to. That's probably the most inspiring thing you've ever taught me."

Without further notice, just like it had happened many times lately, Sasuke felt the tiny line that divided his patience from everything else snap. His legs stopped moving completely but his arms were fast as always thanks to his Shinobi reflexes as he reached out with one hand for Naruto's wrist, preventing him to take another step.

The younger one stumbled a little before turning around and staring into his friend's steely eyes. Blond eyebrows rose with wonder and Sasuke did not have to guess why.

The hand grabbing Naruto's wrist was shaking from the many conflicting feelings he was having at the moment.

_Fuck…_

"Hey, Sasuke…" Naruto's voice sounded uncertain and his eyes were worried. "Are you alr…"

"So what if I like you?" Sasuke interrupted in a low tone, not taking his sight away from Naruto's even though he felt his whole face flare up because of it. "So what if you like me? Where will it take us? What do you think we could possibly have to offer to each other when all we do is constantly bicker and misunderstand each other?"

Naruto's vibrant blue eyes became huge, his chin fell slightly and it was obvious that he was holding his breath. When he spoke, his voice came out choked.

"Do you feel like you have to give Neji something?" He asked mutely, surprising Sasuke. "The important thing is having each other, working together, overcoming differences together, achieve our purposes together. What else could you want? Isn't that more than enough and a lot to handle already?"

Swallowing hard, Sasuke bit his lip. It all seemed so simple when Naruto said it.

"And you think that just having each other is enough?" He replied, not daring to let go of the other.

"Again I ask you, shouldn't that be enough?" Naruto said, willing himself to offer a modest smile even though Sasuke could sense his nervousness. "And you'll never know where anything might take you unless you follow that path."

Sasuke nodded once, pressing his lips together in what could be interpreted as stubbornness.

But he was not feeling stubborn – he was angry, confused and terribly shaken in all his eagerness. He was not sure why he felt eager. His body wanted to react in so many ways but seemed to have become petrified with hesitation.

"I know that." He muttered, with clenched teeth. "I know it and yet I don't know what to do…these feelings I have for you… I don't know what to do about them. You just make me so mad all the time; I don't get you at all…"

Naruto sighed heavily, shoulders slumping as he watched Sasuke's face, the smile disappearing from his lips.

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever – Sasuke's hand still clasping Naruto's wrist, which did nothing to move away.

The Uchiha's heart was fighting a battle against the Uzumaki's equally violent pulse. The world around them seemed to have faded into an endless white void since neither of them remembered they were outdoors, in the middle of Konoha, with many people passing by them.

Naruto swallowed hard, his free hand reaching out to simply brush a lock of Sasuke's bangs from his eyes. The soft gesture came to Sasuke as a _Dejá Vu_ since Neji had done exactly the same thing just a few hours before. However, this time Naruto's touch alone was enough to make him tremble even more.

"It pisses me off," Naruto said seriously, brushing his knuckles over Sasuke's cheek before letting his hand fall. "You gave in so easily to Neji, but when it comes to me you make a big scene out of it, even though we've already been semi-together. It's so fucking frustrating how a genius like you can be really thick-headed and oblivious to the matters of the heart."

"You're in love with me, I get that." Sasuke groaned, taking it as a light offense to his ego.

"No, you don't." It was Naruto's turn to blush, his eyes falling to his wrist. "If you did, you'd know how hard this is on me. You'd know that, for me, having you by my side would be more than enough. You would know that I want to fight to make it work, that I would do everything in my power to make you happy because…I think you are worth it. Sasuke, you were always worth it. In my world you were always…"

"Naruto, just shut up, I…"

"Hey! What the hell are you doing slacking off at this time of the day?" A familiar but angry voice growled from behind them, startling the two.

As if he had just been electrified, Sasuke let go of Naruto's wrist at once before looking over his shoulder to see a very mad looking Shikamaru walking towards them with elephant-like steps.

The sight was uncommon, but had its effect.

Both boys promptly stepped away from each other with equal expressions of frustration and embarrassment splashed across their faces when they turned to their pony tailed friend – expressions that they had to mask almost immediately.

Talk about bad timing, Sasuke thought, fuming internally.

"It's almost lunchtime, what the hell?" Shikamaru spat once he got to them, utterly annoyed. "Everyone is going crazy looking for you guys! You're supposed to be working, not…what the hell did you do to your eyebrow, Sasuke?" He added horrified, noticing the silvery ornament in the brunet's dark eyebrow.

Lunchtime? Sasuke pondered, aghast. Had they really wasted so much time in that stupid store?

"Oh, he's a pussy, mine is way cooler!" Naruto exclaimed, quickly regaining his usual good humored attitude and sticking his pink tongue out at Shikamaru with one of his smug smiles, causing the other to make a slightly sick face. "Awesome, huh?"

"You're absolutely insane." Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes. "Both of you. Now get to work before Tsunade-sama loses it! You've got tons of paperwork to take care of you know? And you have a mission for tomorrow, so make sure you go and properly pick up the request papers."

"Maa, really? And here I was thinking I had nothing to do…"

"And you, Sasuke, have been summoned for a meeting with the Mizukage," Shikaramu informed, still throwing suspicious and mad looks between both boys.

"But we were in the middle of something important!" Naruto protested whining, and Sasuke felt his eyes on him even though he was not looking at his blond companion.

"Are you seriously telling me this after making me come looking for you on purpose?" Shikamaru asked, clearly pissed off like never before. "I can't believe you…"

"Come on, idiot, work is work." Sasuke stated nonchalantly, shoving his hands inside his pockets and summoning his most natural and matter-of-fact attitude while walking off ahead of his two companions. "The rest can wait."

The raven felt more than he saw Naruto pout rather obviously at that, all signs of his previous maturity having vanished with the breeze.

Glad he already had his back turned to him, Sasuke bit his lip and tilted his head down once more, trying to mentally shake off the weird feelings he still had from his awkward and silly conversation with Naruto, but still knowing he was in deep shit and in urgent need to do something about it before something bad happened.

_Of all the people in the world, fate just had to be cruel enough to put him in my way…_

And in the end, he never got to dare Naruto.

000

Sasuke sat at the large oval table of one of the many meeting rooms of the Residence. Not too far from him was Tsunade, and in front of him there was Haru, the Priestess, and the Mizukage.

From the moment he had entered that room that he knew something was up but what he had not been able to guess, even though his clever brain had instantly started working to ponder on the many possibilities.

When Haru's gentle but confident voice started proclaiming her intentions, the young Uchiha had been caught completely off guard, letting his cold mask of indifference fall for a while, showing his surprise, but regaining his cool composure a few seconds later.

For about an hour he attentively listened to her words and the Mizukage's interventions to clarify some things and reinforce some aspects. Sometimes Tsunade threw a few comments on what she thought about it and Sasuke understood she did not like the idea, but would not stop him if he decided to accept the proposition.

A sheaf of papers was neatly settled in front on him and he professionally read through them while still carefully listening to the women around him.

The papers contained maps of the lands surrounding Kirigakure and Haru's village, information on the vegetation, contracts, old alliances and all sorts of information on Haru's small fortune that had been left by her clan. There was also a very detailed report on the state of the village and its financial situation.

Sasuke did not need a lot of time to understand what was being offered to him, what was being asked of him and what benefits it would have, not only for Konoha and Kirigakure, but also for himself and Haru.

And while he also understood that Tsunade was sure he would not even ponder about it, the truth was that Sasuke did find the offer too appealing to be denied.

How could he not? Even though he knew that getting the village back on its own feet would require a lot of work and patience, he also knew that by marrying Haru he would also be the owner of said village, thus giving him the chance of becoming a politically very powerful and influential person. Also, by having her children, he was sure to add another very powerful trait to the Uchiha bloodline. Haru was indeed gifted in many arts and talents of the unknown that Sasuke knew very little about, but felt intensely in his body. She was not bad looking either, so he was sure their babies would be something to be proud of.

The chance to marry into a strong bloodline and literally rule something in whatever way he may find fit made his blood boil with excitement. It was the kind of proposition many dreamed of.

Feelings were not an issue. It was all politics, and he was well aware of that as many things became obvious in his mind about the way Haru had interacted with him.

Sasuke felt shamelessly and sinfully tempted as a feeling of exhilaration took over him.

It only lasted a few seconds, however, as the feelings dissipated as quickly as they had emerged.

The voices around him faded to imperceptible murmurs. As Sasuke's eyes stared at the sheet of paper in front of him, a very clear image popped into his mind without warning and he found himself picturing his house in the soon to be demolished Uchiha Compound.

The image, so vivid, only served to trigger memories he thought he had locked away in his heart – his father's face, always serious and sullen; his mother's gentle and peaceful laughter, and Itachi's kind smile with those hands that had been so warm when Sasuke had been just a child.

Not the Compound or the faces of the other Uchiha.

Just his house, and his family, the one he had loved so unconditionally despite being so young.

The faces of the people he missed. The faces of the people he_ still_ loved so painfully in spite of everything – even Itachi, who he had admired and looked up to beyond any rational thinking.

That house…he could not picture his faceless imaginary children growing up anywhere else. Sasuke did not know how many years he was going to leave, but he had always imagined himself old looking, taking long naps in his garden's porch while his grandchildren played in the background.

Suddenly, he could not picture any other case scenario.

No matter what happened in the future, or whom he might marry with or date, he wanted to go back to that house and create new memories to add to the ones he had before losing his family. He wanted to watch his Compound go down and take all the pain and loneliness with it. He wanted to see Naruto's face when the orphanage finally opened to welcome children who needed a home.

He wanted to see Sakura finally falling in love with someone more worthy and be happy while being loved.

He wanted to see Kakashi finally admitting he was going out with Iruka-sensei.

He wanted to see Naruto become Hokage.

He wanted to become Captain in ANBU even though he knew he would miss Neji's strict but exceptional leadership.

And most of all…

Sasuke set down the papers and gulped, feeling a little short of breath.

He could not leave and get married when he had so many attachments to Konoha and so many things he needed to do. No matter how good of a proposition that was, somehow the dangerous life that he had ahead of him and his silly dreams seemed so much brighter.

Yes, he had some futile dreams, he concluded, a little baffled with himself. If Sasuke left his dreams would be shattered and scattered to the wind, and then what purpose would he have in life? Leaving meant fulfilling someone else's dreams, not his own.

How could he leave without knowing all the things he still wanted to know? All of a sudden, he realized something he had never known about himself.

Uchiha Sasuke was hungry for life. More than that, he was hungry for the unknown that stretched out ahead of him, filled with so many possibilities, so many paths, so many outcomes…

So many outcomes for so many things…

And right now, one of those 'unknowns' actually had a name, and huge eyes that were bluer than the sky and golden hair that resembled the sun.

It was a knot that had to be untied and for some reason, for the first time in a long while, Sasuke understood what it took to untie it, how much he wanted to do it, and how much it meant to him.

To him, that sun meant as much to him as that old, haunted house.

"I'm sorry," He finally said in a decisive tone that was a little too loud, effectively silencing the three women, who all fixed their gazes in him. "I _am _flattered that I've been chosen for such a great future, but I cannot accept it. I'm still too young and there are many things I need to do. Besides, being a Shinobi means the world to me, and I don't think I could lead another kind of life."

"Ha!" Tsunade exclaimed like she had won a bet, satisfied with herself. "I told you!"

To Sasuke's surprise, the Mizukage did not seem fazed or offended, and Haru smiled adorably at him, almost as if she had been expecting his answer.

"I understand," She said politely, nodding once. "It is a shame though. However, if you do feel like you might want to reconsider, keep in mind that the offer still stands. You are the only one I want by my side, Sasuke."

The young man nodded, smiling back with sincerity because he did feel a strange sort of empathy with that tiny, smart girl.

"Thank you, Haru. I appreciate it."

"Well…" The Mizuake said, eyeing her nails with a bored expression. "I talked so much for nothing, how sad. I guess we _will_ be going back to the Water Country tomorrow then, and without a dashingly handsome man to brag about."

"As you wish," Tsunade said, grinning victoriously at the other Kage, while supporting her chin in her knuckles. "I have already taken care of your escorts for tomorrow. At least that hasn't gone to waste."

When the green-eyed woman spoke, the bitter sarcasm in her voice was evident

"How thoughtful of you, damn old hag…"

000

At the end of the day, Naruto was staring at the small piece of folded parchment that lay on the tiled floor of the entrance of his house. It had been shoved under the door.

Wondering why the person did not simply leave it in the mailbox, the blond crouched down and picked it up, closing the door with his foot as he unfolded it. It was unsigned but the words, and the impeccable calligraphy let him know exactly who wrote them.

_I have a dare for you. You can bet it's damn good, I'm sure you'll enjoy it when the time comes. However, you might not enjoy it as much as you should if you insist in keeping up with those stupid rules of yours._

_I doubt you'll have a nice trip tomorrow, but you can always pray it goes well._

_See you soon, dumbass._

Naruto bit his lip with a confused frown.

Was it just his imagination or that last part just had a little hint of bad Omen about it?

000

It was dinner time, but Neji was taking his time meditating while surrounded by the peaceful aura that emanated from the soft darkness of the Hyuuga's main Dojo. He was glad he had it all to himself at that hour.

Tomorrow would be a particularly hard day, since once again he and Naruto would have to escort the Mizukage and respective bodyguards back to the border. Gaara would stay in Konoha for a few more days, but it was still bothersome to travel with women who had to stop more often and who took a lot more time with their natural needs. The Mizukage was a strong woman, but she was very fond of her good looks and had to constantly compose every aspect of her appearance.

Then, there was that arrogant Byakugan stealer, Ao, who so impurely dared to use a Hyuuga trait like he mastered it. Neji did not know the man, but he hated him nonetheless in behalf of his clan's pride.

And then, there was Naruto. Noisy, big mouthed, overly excited Naruto.

Neji had to make sure he brought some painkillers with him just in case he had a headache.

The brunet sighed deeply, muttered a soft, small prayer to the Kamis and got up with as much elegance as his regained balance allowed him.

He was feeling pretty relieved from all the stress he had on his shoulders lately and felt much more at peace with his inner self. Controlling his bad temper was a battle he fought every day, but meditating really helped him to have more self-control instead of just opening his mouth to say whatever cruel things his mind might be thinking.

Neji rolled his shoulders in a lazy manner and smiled unconsciously as he closed his opaque eyes. Well, sex was also really effective in keeping his harsh mouth shut, as Sasuke always said. It was a good stress reliever as well.

Not just the sex, no. There was really something pretty good about being in someone's arms after a difficult day's work, like a sense of comfort and safety that assured him the next day would definitely be better.

Neji would never admit to Sasuke that he actually liked to snuggle with him, and be snuggled against. He would never admit he wished he could hug Sasuke more often.

Actually, there were a lot of things Neji would never tell Sasuke, because he knew the Uchiha would brush it off or throw some harsh remark at him.

Sasuke would never believe some of the words Neji was dying to say, so Neji kept them inside his throat.

Thinking about it was embarrassing, but thinking about how coldly Sasuke might react provided an even worse feeling.

Because Neji had been hurt in many ways in the past, and now that he was happy and had found someone who made his life a little easier to live, he did not want to be hurt again since he was aware that, in many ways, Sasuke could bring him as much pain as he could bring joy.

When the sliding wooden door was violently opened – the noise startled him causing his eyes to flash open – and the object of his thoughts came into view, Neji's heart skipped an unpleasant beat and his hungry stomach growled with the familiar fluttering of nervousness he always felt when he looked at the midnight haired man.

The Hyuuga had no time to register anything but Sasuke's dangerously serious eyes before the younger one ran to him, sandals on and everything, and threw his arms around his neck in a very tight hold. Then he was kissed, thoroughly so, with such power it was overwhelming and still, there was something behind it that tasted of bitterness and regret, so Neji did not find the will to actually kiss back.

When Sasuke pulled away and eyed him again, Neji understood. He understood it even without his lover saying anything, but that did not mean he wanted it to be real. Some part of him wished he was dreaming, wished that he had not come to know his subordinate so well, wished he was reading him all wrong.

But the most rational part knew he could not wish for such things, so he only wished that, no matter what happened next, Sasuke would at least have the decency to not say it out loud because that would officially made it real.

Neji's mouth fell slightly open, eyes trying desperately to see something else in Sasuke's own, honestly sad, resolute ones but failing miserably.

It was written all over his face, so heartbreakingly expressive that the rarity of it wasn't enough to distract him.

Sasuke bit his lip and hugged him again, and Neji could feel his violent heartbeat against his, his sweet scent, the softness of his hair against his cheek. Despite how much his mind told him that this was his last chance to hold him again, to tell him what he wanted, to fight for what he wanted, his body and his voice would not budge.

If the pale eyed male was able to do what he wanted, maybe Sasuke might reconsider. Yes. The Uchiha just had to know, he had to listen, had to be aware of how much he meant in Neji's life, in his world, in his future dreams.

But Neji was hurt. His pride was hurt so there was no way he could allow himself to crumble like that.

Had he done too much? Had he not done enough?

He couldn't speak.

But Sasuke did.

And Sasuke was merciless.

"I'm sorry, Neji," The raven whispered gently, breath ghosting his ear. "It's over."


	13. Chapter Twelve: Hurt & Comfort

**A/N:** OMFG, GET READY GUYS 'CAUSE THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR! Take a deep breath before reading!

This chapter was meant to serve as an emotional closure for many characters. I have to say this has to be my favorite chapter so far, I'm really glad I closed a few doors and opened new ones. You'll see what I mean ;)

Thank you so much for the reviews and keep them coming, they sure inspire me to write more and to improve myself! I love you all so much you have no idea!

As always, a biiiiiiig and very special thank you to my lovely and ever so encouraging beta, **Midnight Essence**! You know you roooock, right? :D

And now…

On with show!

**Chapter Twelve: Hurt & Comfort**

After having just said her good nights to her parents and her little sister, Hinata was on her way to her room when one of her maids appeared to formally inform her that her cousin, Neji, had shown up and requested to see her.

As Hinata changed her course and headed for the small living room where the maid had said Neji was, she could not shake the feeling that something bad was connected to his unexpected visit. On the other hand, she was curious and a little happy that he had come to see her, even if it was unusual for him to visit any member of the family at such a late hour unless it was an emergency related to the clan.

When the girl got there, she noticed Neji had already made himself as comfortable as his formal demeanor allowed him, sitting himself on his ankles over one of the cushions on the floor before the main black low table. An oil lamp had been lit nearby, providing enough light – since he had been raised without electricity, Hyuuga Hiashi did not find the need to use it for everything.

Neji raised his head as she entered the room and carefully slid the door shut. Blank eyes followed her movements until she reached the low table and knelt with feminine grace over the fluffy cushion across from him.

"Neji-nii-san," She greeted softly, bowing formally with a smile and receiving a nod from her cousin. "I have already ordered for some tea to be delivered here. I'm sorry I couldn't prepare anything better in advance, but your visit was unexpected."

"It's quite alright, Hinata-sama," Neji said as he raised a dismissive hand, letting out a tired sigh and rubbing his nasal bone. "I just needed some company, and for some reason, my body brought me here. I'm actually glad it did."

The girl raised her bluish eyebrows and could not help a blush of happiness from coloring her cheeks even though she could sense Neji's obvious distress.

"I'm glad you came," She muttered. "Has something happened?"

"As a matter of fact, it has," The older brunet said without expression, letting his hand fall to his lap and his eyes drop to the table. "He left."

Something inside Hinata's chest squeezed with an uncertain emotion.

"_He?"_ She asked cautiously.

"Sasuke," Neji said, and the way he pronounced it made it sound like he was breathing in a painful gasp of air. "He left me."

Hinata knew what those words meant and it made her heart ache with new emotions now, and this time she could identify them perfectly. If Sasuke had broken up with Neji that could only mean one thing – he was going to get together with Naruto. The thought made her a little happy because now she knew Naruto had had a good reason to break up with her and would be happy with the person he loved. More than that, now she was sure Sasuke loved him back, one way or another, and they would both finally be where they belonged.

However, even if she had been expecting this outcome – since Naruto's persistence always paid off – she had never imagined she would see such a reaction from her cousin. She knew he would be hurt, his pride would be hurt, but clearly it was not only his pride that was hurt.

Neji's face was as flawless and unexpressive as ever, but the way he sat, the way his arms and his hands were stiff – probably clenched under the table – let the young heiress realize he was far from alright.

That realization stuck her as a surprise. Even though she was aware of how natural and comfortable Neji's relationship with Sasuke had been, she had never thought that they might have shared a deeper bond than what was visible. They seemed so at ease, so calmly living whatever it was that they had, that it seemed like that relationship had been simple to the point of being casual and unimportant. Maybe Sasuke had not noticed it. Maybe he had not even allowed himself to let his feelings to go deeper with that whole issue with Naruto, but Neji did. While thinking about it, Hinata recalled seeing them together and noticing Neji holding back his bad temper, acting a little differently than usual, being kinder, allowing himself to feel everything he did with Sasuke.

Hinata bit her lip, feeling uncontained tears fill up her eyes. Her Nii-san had immersed himself into that relationship. More than that, he had hoped and believed that it would turn out just fine.

He had given his all without holding back his feelings.

Thankfully, her tears never fell because a soft knock on the wood of the sliding door woke her up from her dramatic trance.

"Y-yes?" She asked, shakily. The door slid open and her maid came in, carrying a small tray with a beautiful green and pink tea set. Neji did not move when the girl walked over to them and set the tray on the table.

"I will take care of serving the tea to Neji-sama," Hinata said softly but in a commanding tone, grateful that she had managed to hold back the tears. "Please let the others know we do not wish to be disturbed."

The girl – only a few years older than Hinata herself – bowed down and quickly made her way out, soundlessly closing the door.

Neji inhaled deeply and closed his eyes; head leaned forward to his chest. Hinata breathed in slowly and forced herself to relax. When she reached out to the teapot her hands were still shaking slightly with troubled emotion, but she grabbed it all the same. First, she poured some of the liquid into the cup closest to her cousin, and then filled the one closer to her. Setting the pot on the tray again, she resumed her straight stance.

"I'm listening." She said, in a low tone.

Neji politely picked up the cup and drank a little before setting it back on the tray. He looked straight into Hinata's eyes and narrowed his own.

"You knew it all along, didn't you?" He whispered, coolly but not aggressively, causing the younger one to swallow hard.

"Knew about what?" She asked, shyly.

"That this was going to happen," Neji sighed once again. "I know that Naruto broke up with you, because you'd never break up with him, no matter what. I know that. He was jealous of me from the very beginning. I felt that he was getting closer to Sasuke and still I was such a fool…"

Hinata's eyes grew wide. Neji had felt it, he had known that something was not right and knew partially why.

"Nii-san, I…" She said, feeling her lower lip tremble violently. "Some things…are meant to happen. Sometimes we think we have everything under control, but then our hearts…they blind us. We all give our best at everything, but life takes such unexpected turns most of the times! No one is to blame!"

Neji actually raised an eyebrow at that and made a small, bitter smile.

"I know that, Hinata-sama," He whispered, nodding. "But you are too gentle-hearted. You conceal your own sadness by becoming happy for other people's joy. I wish I could be that brave, but the truth is..." Neji bit his lip and looked away to a huge Chinese jar in a far corner of the room. "All my life I've been concealing my pain with indifference and sourness. I accepted my fate in this clan, and yet, I felt frustrated by it. Naruto was the one that made me believe that we can change ourselves and do whatever we like with our lives. It was because of that that I allowed myself to change. When I started feeling attracted to Sasuke I…It didn't bother me at all, and for the first time I let myself go with the flow. Sasuke changed me, my routine, my life, the way I thought about the future…he made me look forward to tomorrow. With him I actually thought about working hard for myself for once instead of focusing only on my duties towards the Hyuuga."

Hinata shook her head, understanding Neji's feelings as an overwhelming feeling of horror stuck her. Neji was definitely not one to make conversation, let alone talk about himself or his personal feelings. Still, it was clear to the girl that he needed to talk, and if listening was all she could do to help, then she would.

"I knew this would happen…" The handsome man proceeded with cool eyes still fixed on the piece of decoration. "I'm only Sasuke's captain after all. I mean, we barely spoke to each other before then, while Naruto was always there for him, protecting him, understanding him, offering his everything…While Sasuke was the light in my darkness, Naruto was his. I just hoped…no…wished I could be…"

The words got stuck in his throat. His eyes closed once again. Hinata pursed her lips.

"I could see it in his eyes when he came to me not even an hour ago…" Neji murmured softly, a new, saddened smile emerging on his thin lips. "I could see that he was sorry, that breaking up with me was upsetting. We were good together, I'm sure he knows it. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't. I felt like a fool, and for a moment I thought that he wasn't serious because he looked honestly pained. But then I realized it was no use since there was that other thing in his eyes that was not directed to me. No matter how I feel about him, I don't think I could handle being with someone who is thinking of someone else."

"Nii-san, I'm sure Sasuke-san likes you very much," Hinata said shakily. "I…I know he put you above Naruto-kun at the time. He didn't want to hurt you, and I have a feeling that you were the one he wanted to be with, in the end. It's just…I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Hinata did not want her Nii-san to know the whole story behind the Naruto/Sasuke affair, but if he had had enough perception to know a little of what was going on, she was not going to lie since things would be pretty much revealed sooner or later.

"I know he cared about me," Neji said, turning his head to her and looking at her with a tired expression. "That's why it hurts."

Hinata swallowed hard, her hands at the level of her chest clutching each other strongly. She never expected to hear such a confession from him, and it was awkwardly sad.

"It'll get better!" She promised, with more motivation than she felt despite the new found tears in her eyes. After all, she knew how it felt to love someone, give them your all and then having your hopes and dreams shattered. "Sasuke-san won't want to lose you as a friend and comrade after everything! He'll still be in your life, and besides, you never know what tomorrow brings…You have so much to give, you'll see…someday you'll find someone deserving of all those beautiful, new found feelings inside you!"

Neji's eyebrows rose with surprise at that, the sadness in his face disappearing completely as he watched thick tears finally rolling down the young girl's features. He sighed, for the last time and made an annoyed face.

"Tsk…don't cry, you silly girl." He said, exasperated. "I didn't really come here to cause such a drama, right after I left my ex-boyfriend alone in the Dojo without a single word after he broke up with me. Please, I really don't have the heart to comfort you…"

"I'm sorry!" She apologized, delicately whipping her tears away with the sleeve of her red Kimono. "I don't need any comfort, I just…I know how much it hurts, and I really didn't want you to know these kinds of feelings! Knowing you are hurt is just…but you'll be fine, I know you will! Just please, Neji-nii-san, don't hold any grudge against them! If I could forgive them, after having loved Naruto for so many years, you have to…you just have to…"

Neji just tilted his head to the side and bit his lip, staring at his little cousin as if such a girlish attitude made him sick. Nevertheless, he allowed himself to smile ever so slightly at her concern.

She really did care for him, he noticed, a small pang of endearment overflowing all his previous sullen feelings. Relaxing his shoulders, he took out a small handkerchief from his sleeve and extended it to her, who took it with a grateful nod.

They understood each other. They were sharing something new.

"It's no use crying, you know," He said, watching her as she blew her nose as politely as she could. "As you said, no one is to blame. Besides, I understand you now. Even if it hurts being left for someone else, when you really like that person I guess it doesn't really matter because, in the end, you only think of their happiness. It's weird though, feeling anger but not hatred. All that's left are these feelings of…loss and disappointment."

"You will feel better, eventually," Hinata repeated hiccupping and lowering the handkerchief from her nose while returning Neji's gaze with shiny eyes. "I mean…I know I lost something important to me but…we're still friends and I know I was an important part of his life, like you are in Sasuke-san's life. They will never forget us, you know? And still, even though it's weird I…I kind of feel like I'm fulfilled now that I know Naruto will have things his own way."

"But…how can you be happy, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked. "They never really did get along. They are complete opposites, even as friends. Sasuke has all sorts of complexities and habits that are hard to handle. How can I believe they will work out as lovers when they kept hurting each other as friends?"

"Because they love each other." Hinata replied a faint blush coloring her ivory skin at Neji's suddenly annoyed look. "That's why they made it so far. I don't really understand it myself but I…I'm sure they have their reasons. If they could manage such a dysfunctional friendship, I'm sure they will work as hard to manage this as well. I…I even believe that what they have could actually keep them together forever…one way or another. I pray that they can achieve it so that all this chaos can be worth it."

Neji frowned and Hinata had a very clear image of what her cousin would look like when he got older.

"I suppose you're right," He muttered, defeated. "I'm just so tired, Hinata-sama…I never thought emotions could be so damn exhausting."

"They can be invigorating as well." Hinata said, managing a small smile.

"Indeed." Neji agreed, forcing himself to smile back.

A few moments of comfortable silence followed the emotional chat.

Hinata licked her salty lips, not needing to be reminded that the conversation was over and that Neji probably wanted to be left to his own thoughts now that he had unburdened his heart.

"I'm sure you won't want to go home in your current condition," She breathed, carefully. "It would do you good to stay away from your house for a while. Should I order for a room to be prepared for you to spend the night?"

When Neji's mouth formed a tiny, honest smile, Hinata felt the familiar burn of happiness clutch at her very soul.

"Thank you, I would appreciate that."

000

It was precisely six in the morning when a soft knock on his front door awoke Sasuke from a rather disturbed sleep where dreams of Neji manifested his fear of losing the one that had been so important to him in so many parts of his pre-adult life.

It was still dark outside, he noticed, sitting up straight in his bed and cursing whoever had the brilliant idea of visiting him at that time. He was almost willing to just lie down again and ignore the stupid jerk when another soft knock, more persistent this time, echoed through the small apartment.

With sleepy eyes and heavy feet, he groaned as he kicked the bed sheets aside, got up and dragged himself outside of his room towards the door.

As he opened it, he also opened his mouth to insult the person on the other side. However, he was quickly unmotivated as his attention focused on the last person he expected to be at his doorstep – Haru, dressed in a simple white dress with a dark cloak over her small shoulders.

"Wha…" Sasuke started to say, confused, but was immediately cut off as both of the girl's hands reached out and were forcefully pressed against his stomach.

The raven had no time to register what was going on; his instincts told him to fight and protect himself, but for some reason he found himself unable to do so. Haru was doing something weird, pushing his stomach so hard it was as if she wanted to cut through him.

Sasuke gasped in pain and surprise and stumbled backwards and she followed him, eyes fixed on hers that looked kind and oddly comforting. His body was consumed by the kind of weakness one has when feeling extremely worn out and yet, he managed to remain standing and not collapse.

Everything hurt and felt hot. It was like his insides were on fire, twisting and twirling like they were moving and shifting out of place. Sasuke looked down to where Haru's hands were still pressing and noticed that they were shining with a very pale blue glow.

_Chakra? _He thought, moaning as a particular painful twist inside him almost made him go blind.

He felt like he was going to be sick at any moment. Worse, it was as if he was going to disassemble himself.

When Haru pushed him back once again, his knees buckled and he was sure they would give away, which caused him to reach out and grab her shoulders for support. He did not know how he was able to walk backwards once again. Eventually, his back hit the nearest wall and he let out a small, afflicted sigh when Haru's round breasts came into contact with his chest.

"Shhhh…" She whispered in his ear, with her usual docile voice, almost like a child's. "It'll be over soon. Just trust me."

Despite how much unfamiliar pain he was in, Sasuke swallowed hard to keep the remnants of his dinner from coming out and closed his eyes.

Haru muttered a few words that Sasuke could not understand but knew were of some ritualistic ancient language. Then, as soon as it had begun, it was over.

Delicate hands moved carefully away from his abdomen and Sasuke fell to the ground heavily, his limbs suddenly lifeless now that Haru was no longer touching him.

With his eyes still closed, he panted, only then noticing how drained he felt and how sweaty he had become in only a few seconds. Nothing was hurting anymore, though.

"Are you alright?" Haru's gentle voice whispered, as though she was afraid anyone might hear them.

Sasuke opened his eyes, his vision blurry, to see that she was kneeling on the floor in front of him. She was actually smiling.

"Wha…what the…fuck…Haru…" He gasped furiously, his heart still beating abnormally fast. "What did…that fucking hurt!"

"It was supposed to," She explained sweetly, using the back of her hand to wipe beads of sweat off Sasuke's brow. "It was just a seal. I'm sorry if I scared you, but you would never agree to this if I had asked you politely."

"A seal?" Sasuke asked, even more angry and confused than before. If he did not feel as tired as he did, he would have probably slapped the girl and kicked her violently out of the house. He usually liked her, but her current action did not get into his good side at all, especially since she had clearly done something serious without his consent. "What seal? What for?"

"Don't worry; it's nothing serious, just a gift." Haru said, looking thoroughly pleased with herself, seemingly oblivious to Sasuke's death glare. "You'll thank me for it one day. It's a very rare and powerful seal, you know? I'm glad you could endure it this well."

Sasuke huffed and groaned once more, clutching his stomach. He was annoyed beyond himself. He tried to shove her away from his face to try and get up, but realized he really could not do it alone.

"Let me help you. I'll put you right back in bed."

"I don't want your fucking help, I want you out of my house," He hissed, as she got up and promptly grabbed his hands to help him. Sasuke slapped her hands away but she grabbed them forcefully anyway and pulled him up with surprising strength. Sasuke was standing once more, but found the need to support his weight on the wall with the aid of his back.

"How did you know where I live?" The Uchiha asked, not bothering with how rude his voice sounded.

"I have my own ways." She replied softly.

"Oh yeah, I bet you do."

Sasuke did not know what to think. Something he could not place his finger on told him that he had nothing to fear from her, but on the other hand, he felt alarmed, alert and fearful that she had done something so unknown and weird to him and did not seem too keen on telling him what it was. For the first time, he really acknowledged that she was, in fact, more powerful and fearful than many thought.

"I really just want to help you," Haru said, looking at him firmly. "I wanted to give you this unique gift. You'll see what it is soon enough. You destiny is finally taking shape, Sasuke, and you can't run away from it."

She reached for her cleavage and took out a perfectly folded piece of paper.

"This…" She explained, looking and sounding dangerously serious. "…is a map. I drew it myself. It'll take you directly to my village through the quickest path. If you ever need a place to go or someone to help you, please do come to me. I have been expecting you, and will continue to do so."

"Why would I need to go to you?" Sasuke asked, a weird conflicting emotion invading him.

"Because, Sasuke, I am the only one who can help you when the time comes, and you'll know it. I'm sure that you do know it already. I know you can feel it…the way our fates are intertwined." She said, backing away and placing the piece of paper over the low center table on their left.

And, for some strange reason, he did know, although he could not associate it with anything in particular.

"You might throw up a little and feel a little tired in the next couple of days, but everything will go back to normal, so don't be scared." Haru said, smiling once again with gentleness. "I will be showing myself out. It was nice meeting you, Sasuke, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again."

And with that, she headed to the still opened door, got out and closed it behind her.

Sasuke stood there, in awe, anger and confusion, staring at the door for the gods knew how long before he regained his strength and dully moved his molested body back to bed, thinking that maybe he had been wrong after all – that maybe his previous impression of Haru had been wrong and that she was not nice at all. Interesting, yes, but too complicated to be safe.

Sasuke settled then and there that he would not want anything to do with her, not now, nor ever.

And just to be safe, he might as well head over to Sakura's office to see if Haru's 'seal' had made any major damage.

000

Ino had invited Sakura for breakfast because she missed her best friend like hell and they rarely had the time to hang out as much as they used to when they only had their jobs as Shinobi. Now, they were both Shinobi, doctors, and Ino even had her part-time job at her family's flower shop. Time was scarce.

"So I told him straight to his face that I don't think Temari is good for him!" The long haired blonde was saying loudly, gesticulating ferociously. "And don't look at me like that, I'm not jealous, but please, that lazy ass with that busty stuck-up bitch? And she's from Suna! _Suna_!"

"Come on, it can't be that bad!" Sakura laughed well humored as she took a bite off her vegetarian sandwich. "I mean, if they got attracted to each other it means something must work between them, right?"

Since it was a lovely sunny morning, both girls had chosen to bring food from home and eat at the local park. They had sat comfortably on one of the many benches and partook of their meals.

"It does work, alright." Ino said, shuddering. "It's called hormones, that's what it is. Shikamaru just had to find what those are at the age of nineteen. It took him long enough."

Sakura smiled at her and Ino smiled back, setting her green apple over her lap.

"You are just scared that he might decide to go away." Sakura noted gently.

"Yeah, maybe. He is my best male friend after all." Ino sighed, three times in row. "I know I'm always fighting and insulting him, but our families are allies; I've known him my whole life and…well, I guess it's just weird that he found someone before I did."

"You'll find someone for you, you'll see."

"Yeah, we both will!" Ino exclaimed, excessively cheerful before turning to her friend with a conspirator, mischievous grin. "By the way, I heard from a reliable source that Naruto went on a date with the Kazekage. Is that true? I even heard someone saw them eating other's faces off. I had no idea Naruto was like that!"

Sakura blinked at her, befuddled.

"Well, I knew they went on a date, but the making out part is just…well, Naruto wouldn't do that!" The shorter one laughed, nervously.

"What, the fact that he might be gay or the making out part?" Ino joked, purposefully teasing her friend.

"How should I know such a thing?"

"You should! Still, it's pretty amazing that Gaara-kun would take an interest in Naruto and…probably other things. He looks frightening frigid, even if Naruto is rather cute."

Sakura laughed more sincerely now and elbowed Ino's ribs playfully.

"Shut up, you pervert!"

They picked on each other for a while, and laughed comfortably while slowly eating. They did not see their comrade from another team approaching them.

"Yo, ladies."

They looked away from each other, still grinning stupidly to tilt their heads upwards at the same time and see Kiba, and the very large and white Akamaru in front of them.

"Oh, hi Kiba!" The blonde one said, waving at him with energy. "And Akamaru, of course. Nice to see you!"

"Care to join us?" Sakura asked politely, pointing to the good looking food that was still perfectly settled on the bench beside her.

"No, thanks, I've got a lot to do today," Kiba said, even as he eyed the food appreciatively. "I was just passing by and…well, I heard something strange today, so I thought you might know something about it, Sakura."

Sakura's attention perked up at that.

"What is it?" She asked, curiously.

Kiba bit his lip and came closer, his voice becoming low and secretive. Ino loved a good gossip, so she leaned closer as well, eager to know what seemed to be so interesting.

"You didn't hear it from me, okay?" He murmured, with his hand at the side of his mouth. "But Hinata just told me Sasuke broke up with Neji yesterday."

Ino did not miss the brusque shiver that shook Sakura's body at that, or the way her expression changed and became unreadable.

"No way!" Ino said, whispering as well but making sure her surprise was evident. "But they seemed to work out just fine!"

"I know," Kiba nodded vigorously, looking dumbfounded as well. "And from what Hinata said, Neji was really into Uchiha. I don't get that at all, but I have a feeling Sasuke might have the hots for someone else, I just can't figure out who! I mean, the only person he ever demonstrated any interest in was Naruto, but that's just ridiculous right? What do you think, Sakura?"

Sakura, Ino noticed, was deadly pale.

"I…I don't know…" She stuttered, agitated. "I had no idea…I mean, I…Sasuke-kun doesn't usually talk about those things with me…he keeps to himself and…I really don't know…"

"Maybe he just got tired of being in a relationship!" Ino added, noticing how the subject had made her friend unnaturally uneasy. "There's no need for unnecessary speculation, right, Kiba?"

"Yeah, you're right." Kiba nodded, straightening up and frowning. "I just thought it was weird. But if Sakura doesn't know, then I guess it might be nothing."

"Right!" Ino said brightly. "Just don't spread funny rumors around, ne?"

"Who do you think I am?" Kiba growled. "I was just worried. I'll be off then. See ya around!"

"See ya!"

Kiba ran off with Akamaru trailing close behind him. Once he was far from sight, Ino turned to Sakura to become horrified by finding her sobbing silently, thick tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sakura! What's wrong?" She asked, immediately surrounding her shoulders with one arm, her free hand resting on her knee in a way she hoped would be reassuring. "Sasuke-kun is single now, shouldn't you be happy? Tell me what's wrong!"

"I…Ino, I can't take it anymore!" Sakura wept, her hands shaking in front of her face. "This is it! I'll be all alone; I'll be left behind for good!"

"What are you talking about?" Ino questioned, not understanding anything. "I'm here, you're not alone…"

"No! All this time I…I've loved them both so much! Differently but…I love them so much! And they're drifting away…they'll be together and I'll be…They don't even know, Ino, how much I want to be a part of their life, they don't know how scared I am that they'll forget about me, that they'll neglect me! They always had their own world and I always wanted to be a part of it…I want them to be happy but I…I'm scared, Ino!"

The other girl was shocked at Sakura's outburst. It was clear she was hurting, clear that she had kept so many things inside her chest that she had been dying to let out, but to Ino, everything she said was confusing. She wanted to help her, to say something to make her feel better but did not know what.

"Sakura…what are you talking about?" She asked quietly. Sakura hiccupped a few times and said nothing, her hands whipping her constant tears, so Ino felt the need to pressure her. "Please, tell me. I promise I won't tell a soul, you know I have a big mouth, but I can keep your secrets!"

Sakura eyed her desperately in an obvious attempt to tell the florist girl that she needed to talk but did not want to reveal anything, but Ino's pleading gaze and her firm grip on her knee made her fall apart and she howled in a new fit of desperate sobs.

"Oh, Ino! It's Naruto and Sasuke!" She gasped.

"What about them?"

"They're in love with each other!" Ino breathed in and held her breath at that. The way Sakura said it made Ino understand that it was the truest of truths, something that hurt her but that she had accepted, somehow. "They have been for I don't know how long, maybe forever! They're going to get together! Naruto was only waiting for Sasuke to stop being stubborn and break up with Neji…They only have eyes for each other; they were even together like that for a while! If you could have seen what I saw…and I…before, I could meddle in, but now? It's not a joke, I can't stop it! They will leave me behind for good…What should I do, Ino, what am I supposed to do?"

In just a few seconds so many things had been revealed to her that Ino thought her lungs had been ripped out from the shock.

Naruto and Sasuke? In love with each other? How…?

She had no time to dramatize it herself; Sakura needed her and she had to be lucid, keep her mind clear and her nerves steady.

This was, indeed, no joke. It was happening, and even though to Ino it sounded kind of like something out of a book written by fate, she didn't feel like it was such a big deal. But it was a big deal to Sakura, and to some extent, she understood why.

Inhaling deeply, she summoned all her patience, all her strength and pulled one of Sakura's hands away from her face.

"You are going to tell me all about it," She said, firmly, yet gently. "And we'll get through this together, okay? It'll be alright, Sakura."

Sakura sniffed, nodded and let herself be freed from the burden she had carried for what seemed like forever.

000

"Superficially there's nothing wrong with you." Sakura said seriously, leaning back on her doctor's chair and watching as Sasuke put on his blue short-sleeved shirt on by the marquis. "We still have to wait for some of the test results, but you are pretty healthy. It is kind of odd how the seal reacts to chakra, though. It doesn't look like any seal I have ever seen either."

Sasuke buttoned up his shirt, looking unsure.

"I did throw up this morning, like she said," He mumbled, thoughtful. "But I don't feel tired and I'm perfectly fine now. I don't know, but she has to have done _something_, I swear I felt my internal organs shifting, it was like they were moving out of place."

"She applied some pressure with chakra, it's normal that you would have the impression of having your organs moved," Sakura explained calmly despite how worried she felt. "She probably just made something to amplify your chakra level or something. I read about it once, it's a rare and powerful type of Jutsu and not many man can handle it. I mean, a normal man that works only with his own energy cannot possibly increase his own amount of chakra. I think it's possible for someone like you, but still I don't know how it works."

Sasuke did not seem convinced and Sakura knew she was just giving him a useless excuse to pacify him. After all, what reason did the priestess have to give him more power? Or better yet, what reason did she have to put a seal on him at all?

"I will drop by tomorrow for the blood samples." The man ended up saying, straightening up and running a hand through his hair. "If you find out something, please let me know."

"Sure." She nodded, managing a gentle smile. "Let me just write you a quick prescription before you go. Your blood pressure is a little low; you should take something for that."

"Fine."

Sakura fumbled in her drawer for the prescription papers and quickly prescribed what she thought Sasuke needed. All the while, the last Uchiha heir remained where he was; arms folded over his chest as he boringly gazed around the room. Sakura peeked at him when he wasn't looking and sighed.

He would be fine, she was sure of it. Maybe the priestess had really done nothing wrong, but it was still weird that he had an unknown seal in him for no apparent reason – a seal that only appeared when in the presence of chakra. Even stranger than that – and something she had not told Sasuke about – was the fact that the seal had pulled her chakra out when she had placed her hand upon it.

She would have to discuss it with Tsunade-sama later, Sakura mentally noted.

She signed the paper and extended it to Sasuke, who took a few steps towards the desk and took it.

"Thanks, Sakura." He said, his lips forming a vague smile.

"No problem."

She watched him intently once more, waiting for him to fold the paper and shove it inside one of his trousers' pockets.

The memory of what Kiba had said that same morning was still nagging the back of her mind.

She felt hurt. Was Sasuke not going to tell her about breaking up with Neji? Why would he keep it from her if he knew she knew about his affair with Naruto?

"Well, then, I'm off…"

"When are you getting together with Naruto?" She interrupted, the subtle harshness of her words preventing Sasuke from turning around and leaving.

She might have broken down earlier, but after letting it all out she had calmed down and talked to Ino about it, her heart had become lighter and she saw that whole situation in a whole new perspective. She accepted that she had no place between her two best friends, and also acknowledged that she now had a something new to fight for, something to look forward to – from now on, she had to fight for her place in their lives and she would only accomplish that by showing her support and love. She would help them and be there for them, and she would let them know how much she loved them and how she wished for the happiness they so deserved.

But slowly. She would have to be very careful from now on or Sasuke might find her annoying and drive Naruto away.

Sasuke's eyebrows tilted up at her but besides that, nothing gave his emotions away.

"Why do you ask?" He said, simply.

"No reason," She muttered, crossing her fingers in front of her face. "I'm just wondering because this situation has lasted long enough, don't you think? I can't stand seeing how stupid the both of you act all the time. It breaks my heart, and this time, it's even more painful."

Sasuke pursed his lips at that as a flick of emotion Sakura had never seen emerged in him.

"Whatever happens, happens," He stated firmly, but in a softer tone. "And you'll know if, or when it does."

"Hum…I just don't want anyone getting hurt anymore," She said, solemnly. "I know I was childish about many things in the past, and even now I'm suffering for it. Even though I still love you, I also love Naruto very much. Right now I refuse to lie to myself. To me, you guys' happiness is more important than whatever feelings I may have. Don't lie to yourself either, Sasuke-kun, and just do what you want before regret starts to consume you. That's all I wanted to say."

Sasuke breathed in and turned his head from side to side.

"You don't have to tell me," He replied coolly. "We always managed things by ourselves and we'll keep doing just that. Thanks for your concern though, it's much appreciated."

Without another word, Sasuke nodded and promptly abandoned the silent office.

000

In all his honesty, Naruto was not ready nor in the mood to go on another mission with Neji; first because he was still slightly affected by what had been said to him on their previous mission, and second, because somehow Sasuke's words of uncertainty and his visible eagerness the previous day had made him hopeful that the raven was warming up to him and the idea of them being together, thus making him also feel guilty by having to hang around the Hyuuga.

Naruto liked Neji despite him being a stuck up, way too serious pompous and smart-assed bastard. Neji was loyal, hardworking and could be kind when he wanted, so even if the blond wanted badly to take Sasuke away from him, it was also something that grind inside him because, in a way, he was betraying a comrade and he did not want to be on bad terms with Neji.

Despite his conflicting feelings, Naruto and Neji met at the Hokage's empty office early in the morning and he tried his best to sound and look as natural as ever but to no avail – Neji barely looked at him and did not even address him at all. This surprised the blue-eyed Jounin and concerned him a little as he tried to make casual conversation, but the brunet simply crossed his arms and stared out the window while they waited for Tsunade and the others to arrive, effectively cutting him off.

So, maybe Neji was having a bad day and woke up on the wrong side of the bed, Naruto thought, pouting. Whatever, it was his problem, not Naruto's.

This, however, could not be further from the truth, as Naruto would find out later on.

A few minutes later Tsunade came in, closely followed by the Mizukage, her bodyguards and the small priestess. Both Kages discussed something; Tsunade gave Neji a few, simple instructions and said something to Naruto that he really did not pay attention to.

As last words of farewell were exchanged between the elder women, the blond boy felt himself being watched. Searching for the source of such heavy starring, he found a pair of large dark eyes fixed in him, belonging to the priestess. The girl smiled at him warmly with that over familiar look in her face, but instead of feeling calm and assured, Naruto felt a chill run down his spine. That creature sure was weird.

Escorting the Mizukage and the others had been pure hell. If Neji had taken the full lead in their previous mission, now he was doing so as well, but with the not so slight difference that he acted as if Naruto did not exist. He did not look at him, did not address him, and did not touch him. Actually, his actions made it clear that he was not in the mood to talk or be nice to anyone, the Mizukage included. As a result, six people traveled in silence for a whole day, running when Neji ran, walking when Neji walked, stopping when Neji stopped, eating when Neji ate, and doing everything when Neji thought it was fit to do. The Mizukage was apparently in too much of a good mood to take any offense.

Naruto, however was damn annoyed by his attitude but felt strangely intimidated. He wanted to ask Neji what was wrong but was scared to know, so he kept silent, controlling his nerves and his anxiety. He would not throw assumptions at the older boy either; otherwise he might let something slip out that was not meant to.

Returning to the village by themselves was even worse and, for the first time, Naruto understood the meaning of that old expression called 'deafening silence'. Luckily enough, the Hyuuga seemed as willing to go back home as quickly as possible as Naruto himself did, so they ran most of the way and traveled over the trees when the path was too uneven below.

The mission lasted precisely a day and a half. It was the middle of the afternoon of the day after they had left Konoha when they got back. Naruto was tired, sweaty and sleepy, but by the time they reached the imposing gates of their beloved village, he was feeling rather thankful that it was over.

He watched as Neji signed them in at the ordinance. Once finished, the brunet went to him and, for the first time, actually looked at him, finally acknowledging his presence and causing Naruto to blush from nervousness.

There was nothing particularly hostile in Neji's gaze, just some sort of contemplative expression and a slight pucker in his lips. They stared at each other for a while before Neji turned around and started walking off towards the center of the village.

Confused, but a little more at ease, Naruto ran after him until he reached him. Feeling it was safe, he walked by Neji's side.

Neji, who was his friend, but also his rival in the matters of the heart.

In awkward silence they reached the crowded commercial area, both heading towards the same direction – the Hokage Residence. Then, something rather fateful happened, or so Naruto thought; a few feet away from them, Sasuke emerged from a small grocery shop, dressed casually – with a white t-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans – and carrying a bag full of what seemed like fruits and vegetables.

Neji stopped in his tracks abruptly, and Naruto copied him automatically as he looked at him with a questioning gaze. Neji's blank eyes narrowed and he bit his lip.

Naruto turned his head back to Sasuke and noticed that the midnight haired man had seen them and was currently standing still in the middle of street, dark eyes trailing from Naruto to Neji, yet, there was no emotion there to betray his thoughts. People passed by them and walked around them, oblivious to the weird scene occurring.

Neji swallowed hard and Naruto could feel the intense tension there. It was a strange, strange territory the three of them were in, and he could think of a hundred reasons for that, but still, the real reason as to why he felt to uncomfortable did not manifest itself.

After a few knife cutting seconds, Neji's voice finally made itself be heard.

"I didn't even notice he had gotten himself a piercing." He muttered, to himself. Then…

"You owe me." He said to Naruto, in barely a whisper that was heard nonetheless.

"I do?" The blond asked, making a face. "For what?"

"For not fighting," Was Neji's answer, eyes fixed on Sasuke's, who were now fixing him back. "For not trying harder. You _have_ to make it up to me. Don't screw this up, Naruto, or I'll rip your head off."

"Eh?! Screw what up?" Naruto exclaimed horrified, as Neji started walking off again. Naruto was going to follow him and yet was stopped when he saw Neji passing by Sasuke without a second glance. He did not stop to kiss or touch him, did not say a thing, and did not even nod. And neither did Sasuke do anything to catch his attention.

_What the hell is going on?_ Naruto thought, his heart racing.

Sasuke sighed softly before eyeing a petrified Naruto now. Neji had already drowned himself in the crowd and was out of sight when the raven walked towards his younger friend calmly.

"Welcome back." He said casually, once he was in front of Naruto.

"I…yeah, thanks." Naruto replied back, a familiar form of heat creeping up his stomach at the sight of Sasuke's handsome features. "What's the deal between you and Neji?"

Sasuke shrugged and, to the kitsune's surprise, he smiled bitterly.

"Nothing, really," He said simply. "I guess I might've hurt him a little more than I thought was possible. He'll come around eventually, I suppose."

Hurt? What could that possibly mean, coming from someone like Sasuke?

A gush of fear invaded Naruto.

"Did he…did he found out anything about…you know…" He stammered, scared that he might have ruined their relationship. That would explain Neji's attitude.

"I don't think he did. But I think he might suspect something, though. After all, I did break up with him."

Those words struck Naruto's hard in the chest.

Was that for real? Could it be…

"I mean, we were really good together, you know? I reckon Neji knew I'd never break up with him unless there was someone else." Sasuke finished, shrugging again. He looked calm; too calm.

"But…why?" Naruto asked, his voice rasped from shock. "Why would you do that…after all this time…"

"Because you wanted me to," Sasuke answered, with cruel honesty. "It was your condition. Break up with Neji and I could get back together with you, for real this time."

"But…you liked him!" Naruto almost yelled, startling a few people around them. "You made me go through hell because you didn't want to leave him and now…"

Sasuke blushed adorably while making an annoyed expression. He scratched his head and looked away for a moment.

"I did like him," He admitted lowly. "I still do. A lot, actually. But I…I guess that when I finally got the balls to weigh the both of you, I realized that…In my life, you have always been more important. It's funny, really, but I guess that, despite how terrible we are towards each other, I… I still like you more."

Naruto was speechless for what felt like forever. He could do nothing but stare at his most precious person with mouth agape, his mind slowly but restlessly processing what had been said, the meaning and its consequences.

Could it be true? Did Sasuke just…was Sasuke really going to…did he really want…

"Don't joke about something so serious, Sasuke…" Naruto muttered, heart clenching with waves of undying hope. "If you're messing with me, it's not funny at all…you know how I feel about you, you shouldn't…"

Sasuke's eyes opened up, a sudden visible rush of anger lightning up those steely orbs.

"Do I look like I'm fucking joking?" He snapped, and Naruto flinched at how offended his voice sounded but felt internally glad that Sasuke was finally cracking. "You damn moron! I'm telling you I broke up with Neji to be with you the way you want and you tell me it's a fucking joke? I don't even know why I bother with you!"

More and more people were beginning to look over their shoulders to see what was going on between the two most famous rivals and friends of the village. Some of them were whispering between them, but neither of the boys seemed to notice.

"I'm sorry!" Naruto apologized hurriedly, not wanting to upset Sasuke further if, indeed, what Sasuke was saying was the truth. "I just…really? You really want to do this with me?"

Sasuke huffed and blushed even more, if it was possible. Naruto thought he saw something very pretty sparkling around him, making him more beautiful, or maybe it was just Naruto's feelings that made him look like that. Either way, the blue eyed boy was enchanted, fascinated and hysterical. Despite that, he did not dare to move to express his feelings because that moment was too delicate, too precious to ruin.

"Yes…"Sasuke murmured, biting his lip. "I do…those nights and days and whatever it is that you want…whatever, let's do it."

Naruto let out his breath. His muscles relaxed but his spirits were raised violently, forming an enormous amount of happiness that he was not sure how his heart could handle.

However, even if he just wanted to run to Sasuke and do all kinds of things to assure himself that Sasuke really wanted that, he remained where he was and kept his hands to himself, fearing the raven might not want to rush things so soon.

"Kami-sama…" The words came out of his lips without him noticing, but he didn't care. A piece of heaven was being given to him and he stopped feeling his body completely. He did not even feel the weight of his backpack. "So…does that mean you'll be mine?"

Sasuke looked genuinely surprised at such a statement before making a clacking noise with his tongue and grinning with something akin to shyness.

"It's not supposed to be a one sided thing, Naruto."

"That was never a problem in my book." The younger one retorted, smiling back.

They stared at each other for the longest of times, both wanting to do something, say something more, but it was all so unexpectedly new neither really knew where to start.

_Where to go from here?_

"I, erm…told you I had a dare for you," Sasuke said, after clearing his throat, trying to look calmer and more composed. "I know you had rules, but I was expecting…more like hoping you would forget about them now that I'm…single, I guess…for now at least..."

It was rather endearing, Naruto mused, watching Sasuke be all shy and a little nervous. It was a side of him he had never knew but was happy to be able to see.

"Tell me what you want and I'll think about it," Naruto said, softly, with a chuckle. "It can't be something too extravagant, though, I still have to report my side of the mission to Baa-chan."

"Kiss me."

The Kyuubi vessel had been asked the exact same thing a few days ago, but at the time he had stood his ground and refused it, wanting to push Sasuke's buttons and not give in to his whims. What he felt listening to it was exactly the same – the loud beating of his own heart in his ears, his blood rushing with need, his muscles trembling with anticipation. Only now it was different. Now he could do it, there was nothing stopping him, nothing keeping him away from Sasuke.

Nothing except the fact that they were in the middle of the most crowded street in Konoha, surrounded by dozens of people that would most likely spread all sorts of rumors as fast as the speed of light.

"Now?" Naruto asked, uncertainly, looking around and finding the eyes of two old ladies staring at them and commenting while pointing at them.

"Yes, you idiot; now." Came Sasuke's firm defiance. "What, are you scared?"

"I'm not! I just…there's so many people…you just broke up with Neji, are you sure it's alright?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes.

"I'm tired of hiding, and tired of this stupid denial game, Naruto," He sighed. "I don't care what people say anymore… the sooner everyone finds out, the better. I don't mind if you don't mind either."

If Naruto could be happier and surprised he was sure his chest would blow up.

Sasuke wanted people to know about them…he wanted to make things clear once and for all, wanted people to understand they had finally chosen each other. It might not be easy at first but it didn't matter…they would be together; surely everything would be more than alright. Everything would be perfect.

His hands, his whole body finally gave in and started shaking with excitement and urgency to touch and feel and hold close. He was sure he could not hold back much longer.

"I…I smell…I haven't showered…" The young man said hesitantly, trailing his eyes to Sasuke's simple but perfectly clean appearance.

"Fuck, Naruto…" By his tone and the way he clutched his shopping bag, the other understood the brunet was beginning to feel agitated and impatient as well. "I don't fucking care about that! It's been ages since…if you want it, just do it already. Fuck whatever it is that's plaguing your head because if you don't do it, I damn well will."

Of course 'ages' was too exaggerated since it had only been little over a week since they had last engaged in any physical contact, but Naruto understood him. To him, it had felt like such a long time it had been tortuous.

Not needing to be told twice, Naruto only had the time to register Sasuke's hand letting go of the plastic bag he was holding. It fell to the ground with a dry noise and most of its contents rolled from its interior, yet neither cared nor paid any attention to it, but the surrounding people sure did since the food was blocking the path their feet stepped on. Consequentially, many sets of eyes looked up at what had caused such a chaos of food and found quite a surprising scene that promptly ignored whatever stares, murmurs or pointed fingers it was attracting.

Naruto could not care less about whatever it was that was going on around him. All he cared for was the urgent way Sasuke's arms reached for him, wrapping around his neck – since there was really no other available place to hug – holding him impossibly close, and the synchronized movement they both did to kiss each other as their mouths clashed with unkempt desperation. Naruto encircled Sasuke's firm waist, kissed him with all he had, exultant that his new lover seemed just as eager, just as wanton as tongues mingled, teeth nibbled and clanked painfully, perfectly.

And even though it made his blood boil, his body ache with desire and his heart constrict with emotion, that kiss was just like many they had shared before, but so much different it made it hard to breathe.

Neither knew what had changed between them, what had diminished or what had grown during the time they were apart, but it was not the same as before, and even if it was terrifying how different everything felt, both felt the same pang of reassurance that whatever it was that was keeping them this linked to each other was mutual. If it was this strong it had to be good right?

And Naruto promised to himself that he would work as hard as he could to keep them together, to make Sasuke happy and to make sure they would be there for each other for as long as time itself allowed it.

When they broke away, gasping for much needed air, Naruto smiled broadly at Sasuke's reddened and slightly intoxicated face – clearly a little annoyed at himself for having lost control so shamelessly – thinking how lucky and happy he was. He could cry but was too overwhelmed for that.

"Nee, Sasuke…" Naruto whispered, bringing their foreheads together and breathing slowly, relishing in the feeling of his friend's wild heartbeat against his chest and his breath against his own. "Let's do it right, this time, okay?"

"Hum…yeah." Sasuke whispered back, understanding the meaning behind it while licking his lips."I think we both deserve it after going through so much trouble…"

"Yeah, we really do…"

The journey of fear and hesitancy was over, Naruto comprehended, changing the angle of his head so that their lips met again, this time in a gentle, careful movement that Sasuke was equally fine with. A new, exciting and happy life was about to begin.

Everything would be just fine.


	14. Epilogue

A/N: As always, thank you so much to my lovely supportive Beta **Midnight Essence** and a big, special thank you to my readers and reviewers who stick to this piece of shit no matter what. I know the story gets a little confusing sometimes, but hey, it's supposed to be that way, and things will start heating up soon.

If you have enjoyed this story so far, do keep track of its sequel – "A Distance There Is".

Much love to you all!

And now…on with the show!

**Epilogue**

The day Naruto found Gaara walking the corridors of the Residence securely guarded by Temari and Kankurou – both with luggage ready and firmly attached to their back – left him sure that something in his relationship with the Kazekage had somehow taken quite the violent turn. Seeing Neji strolling behind the three Suna Shinobi, made the feeling deepen.

When they stopped in front of each other, the cautious distance the blond felt made him feel cold.

"You're leaving already?" Naruto asked, trying to sound more curious than actually hesitant. He could feel both Gaara's siblings watching them intently, but there was nothing reproachful in their eyes.

"Yes," Came Gaara's soft but firm reply, green eyes boring holes into the blonde's blue ones. "It was kind of a sudden change of plans. I have long since finished the work I came here to do; there is no need for me to stay here any longer. I have a village to take care of."

Swallowing hard, Naruto tried to ignore Neji's attentive scrutinizing of the scene before him.

"Yeah, I know you do." Naruto said, nodding once.

The tension was terrible. He wanted to be able to talk with his friend with his usual carefree way, but something was keeping him at bay – the curtain Gaara had cast around himself, his feelings and his emotions was way too thick, and Naruto was finding it impossible to read him.

The Jounin was even wondering if Gaara would have looked for him to say his farewells if they hadn't accidentally bumped into each other.

"So…do you want me to escort you back?" He asked, the last flame of hope flickering brightly inside of him.

"That will not be necessary."

That flame died rather quickly.

Was it really how it was going to be? Naruto wondered. Was Gaara mad because he had clearly rejected him by dating Sasuke?

"Hyuuga-san here is going to escort us to the border, and that should be enough as it is," Gaara explained, simply, making a gesture towards the end of the small group. "We plan on traveling fast, there is no need for you to come; it would be a waste of your time."

"Right," Naruto replied, feeling it hard to simply continue that fake façade. He was getting pissed and hurt, and yet was unsure if he even had the right to feel that way, which led him to remain as calm and composed as he possibly could. "Well, it was nice having you around."

"It was… nice being here as well." The formality and purposeful pause in the red head's voice made Naruto twinge internally. For some reason, Temari scoffed behind her hand and Kankurou elbowed her.

Naruto bit his lip, feeling rather stupid.

"Well, I…hope you have a nice trip," He muttered, scratching the back of his head in defeat. "And…I guess I'll see you soon?"

The way Gaara looked at him then was completely different to Naruto, even though to someone else he might have just kept the same inscrutable expression. However, the slightly taller one did not fail to excitedly notice the almost imperceptible flick of emotion that crossed those emerald orbs for no longer than few milliseconds.

Naruto knew he had to speak. He had to apologize, to reassure the other Jinchuuriki that nothing had changed, that he still cared no matter what.

But, sensing his obvious distress, Gaara effectively cut him off after letting a very long sigh escape his lips.

"Before you say anything, I just want you to know that it's fine," He stated, still stubbornly refusing to turn his eyes away from Naruto's. "It really is. I have many things to do, much to think about and no time for the common regular things in life. However, my offers still stand. _Both of them_. If you ever need anything, you know Suna will welcome you with open arms, and so will I. And if you _just_ want to visit, you can bring Uchiha with you, if you must."

Even if the tone had been a little sour, at his words, Naruto felt the painful squeeze in his heart loosen up considerably, and he was able to release a small, honest smile. There was still a chance to fix things. Maybe not now, but eventually they could go back to normal.

"Thanks, Gaara." He muttered, nodding in approval.

"You're welcome." Gaara nodded back and started walking once more, passing by him easily and not once looking back. The others followed, Temari, smiling and patting his head on the way, Kankurou making an exaggerated disgusted face towards him but waving goodbye all the same. Neji simply eyed him with suspicion, not saying anything out loud, but not refraining from forming silent words with his mouth that the younger was able to read perfectly.

_Screw up and you're dead._

Naruto just had to roll his eyes and give him the finger. Laughing to himself, he saw Neji quirk an arrogant eyebrow at him before turning away and following the others.

With a newfound, cozy feeling in his stomach, Naruto watched them go until they disappeared around the corner.

000

There were times when being with Sasuke made Naruto feel like he was at the top of the world, somewhere beautiful above the clouds; floating, stepping gently but steadily over something fluffy and comfortable. Other times, it felt like he was continuously training his concentration in order to find the balance between mind, body, and spirit before walking over broken glass because it felt dangerous. It could hurt if one was not focused enough, and it always made his heart race with both adrenaline and fear.

There were so many wrongs and rights that it was unsettling. Maybe that was what made it all so fucking beautiful in the first place.

Konoha has actually reacted worse to Neji being dumped than to the actual fact that Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke had started going out, out of the blue.

Sasuke was loudly bad-mouthed for a whole week, even though Naruto tried his best to defend him, the Uchiha pretended to be blissfully oblivious to his surroundings, like he didn't care what people said about him. Realizing that in reality Sasuke couldn't give a greater shit made Naruto feel proud.

Despite not proclaiming it to the four winds, news traveled fast, as usual, and of course even the closest people to them came to know of this new development. The reactions were divergent, to say the least. Kiba had been incredulous but suspiciously cheerful; Hinata had smiled rather honestly and wished them well; Shikamaru had sighed and named the whole situation – including Neji's dumping – 'bothersome'; Lee had been as excited as excited could get – why, Naruto had no idea –, Ino and Sakura had rather fake congratulating smiles on their faces but had both said kind words of approval; TenTen had yelled, threatened and insulted them to no end on Neji's behalf and Chouji and Shino had decided that nodding was enough to express their feelings towards the matter – go figure.

Kakashi had laughed hard like no one had seen him laugh before, consequentially causing Sasuke to sulk and not talk to him for a week, but on the other hand, Iruka had been so happy Naruto had gotten what he really wanted for once that he had cried and went all the way to the Jounin station just to hug Sasuke. _Sasuke._ Not Naruto, not both of them, just _Sasuke._

And _that_ sure made Naruto laugh.

So, as expected, the first week was not as good and as dreamy as the two teens had expected, but apart from the fact that Sasuke was a little hurt that Neji refused to speak to him or even be in the same room alone with him, the truth was that the tiny pieces of their shattered relationship seemed to finally be coming together.

For Sasuke, when he looked at the two of them, he realized that, deep down, nothing had changed between them apart from the status of their relationship and yes, the sex.

They had only been dating for a few weeks now and had already done _it_ more times than he could count, which had been something Sasuke had not expected the least. Sure, he had known Naruto wasn't exactly shy about sex, but still the whiskered boy had been surprisingly open-minded about whatever Sasuke wanted to do and, most of all, very willing to experiment things for himself. If they had thought they had some chemistry going on between them before, it was nothing compared to how they interacted once they found themselves free from their previous relationships.

Being alone together suddenly took a whole new meaning.

It had been a blessing that Naruto had easily accepted the fact that Sasuke liked to top _and_ bottom. Apparently, he found out he did, too, and worst of all – or not – he got the hang of man on man action fast enough and all of a sudden he just did whatever he pleased and got Sasuke to easily fall prey to his every whim and fantasy.

Still, for as much as Sasuke enjoyed both sex and Naruto's amazing ability to stir him up every time with his dirty talking and never ending teasing, the blond's stamina wore him out. It felt like every time they did it, the world was coming to an end. Naruto joked and said it was like fire – wild and unstoppable – but Sasuke considered it reckless. There was no thinking, no planning, just raw emotion and careless need to feel and touch and own. It was like being drunk and having no sense of direction or occasion.

It was very different than being with Neji. Sasuke found himself so riled up most of the times he always forgot to even wear condoms or make Naruto wear them. Well, Naruto somehow always ended up making them tear – Sasuke could never understand exactly how he managed to do that since he simply wasn't _that _big.

Things that had been so important before just vanished out of his mind when his and his best friends' bodies clashed.

There was no sense of shame, pride or dignity between them. It was amazing and yet monstrously scary.

The thought alone was enough to make Sasuke painfully hard in his pants. Everything was so immensely differently because now he was in love and very much aware of it.

Not that Naruto didn't know that – after all, they ended up together for a reason – but it wasn't as if Sasuke would ever say it out loud. It was too much, too soon. Maybe someday, who knew? But for now, things were already complex enough as they were, and they were slowly but consistently building their future together.

Naruto awakened _everything _inside of him. He was like a hunger that could not be satiated; craving, demanding all the pure and impure living inside of him.

Nothing had changed; they still bickered and fought about the stupidest of things. They still disagreed and tried to outshine the other. Naruto was still messy while Sasuke liked everything neat and organized.

However, now they _belonged_ and, for the first time, they could see clearly what tomorrow looked like.

000

The tiny tavern was rather quiet for such a late hour despite how crowded the place was. The sour odor of tobacco smoke and alcohol filled the air as conversation from every table murmured gently.

Sitting at one of the high stools by the bar, Sasuke kept to himself while distractedly making his glass of liquor twirl, a half smoked cigarette dangling from the fingers of his free hand.

It wasn't as if he liked the place all that much, but Naruto had left for the day on a mission with Team 10 that was yet to be finished, and Sasuke was just bored to death. Somehow he didn't feel like going home now that he had accustomed himself to always having company during the night – it was either Naruto coming over, or he going over to Naruto's since the blond had even bought a slightly bigger bed recently.

Besides, that tavern was as discreet as it could get. He used to go there with Neji all the time when he became ANBU; they had openly made out there many times before they started dating, and not once anyone sitting at those same damn tables let anything escape to the outside world. Maybe every single customer had their own secrets they wanted preserved as well. Who knew what kind of things went on that place?

Some things Sasuke took the time to notice, some he just preferred to ignore. It was a silent code everyone respected, and as long as they minded their own business, he would as well.

Now that he thought about it, he didn't dislike it all that much.

"Mind if I join you?" Came an easily recognizable voice behind the Uchiha, making him shiver slightly. It seemed like it had been ages since he had heard that same, monotone voice addressing him directly but he didn't bother to look over his shoulder.

"Whatever." He replied with a shrug. It was like fate had brought that person there on that specific night. Either that, or he had been followed – which was probably the correct assumption.

The body moved, making the stool creak a little, and in a few seconds, the person was effectively seated at his right side.

The sudden shyness that crept over Sasuke made him cringe internally. No, it was not shyness but awareness, uncertainty.

Eyeing the other male in a dissimulated way, he watched Neji's profile as he made an elegant gesture to catch the bartender's attention.

"I'll have whatever he's having," Neji ordered politely to the toothless, yet pleasant looking middle aged man that appeared before him. "And bring another one to my friend as well."

Sasuke's eyebrows quirked upwards.

For a whole month and a half Neji had refused to talk to him about anything else than work – sure, he had been extremely professional with that -, refusing to even be alone in the same room as him. Sasuke had known that their breakup had been rough on the Hyuuga's pride, but he certainly hadn't expected him to take things so seriously.

Having tried a thousand times to patch things up only to be given the cold shoulder, Sasuke had eventually given up and decided that his captain needed his space for whatever reason.

However, even if Neji was no longer his lover, they had shared a strong link based on a lot of trust, understanding and respect, and no matter what had happened afterwards, they had the strong, rather reliable relationship many dreamed of. He was one of the few people Sasuke could actually stand for longer than a few hours, and someone he truly didn't want to lose.

Having Neji sitting so casually beside him after so long was rather amazing in a way and it made him wonder.

For the first time, Neji turned his head towards him, blank eyes scrutinizing his impassively.

"What?" Neji asked crudely, even though those eyes were now scanning Sasuke's features freely.

The raven felt the corner of his lip twitch upwards in an ironic smile.

"So, I'm your friend now?" He inquired dryly, before bringing his cigarette to his lips and inhaling. "How convenient."

Neji all but sighed. The bartender settled two glasses of brownish liquid in front of them and removed the empty one that Sasuke had previously been playing with.

"You were always my _friend_, Sasuke," Neji muttered, picking up his glass with a frown. "I just wasn't too happy when you all of a sudden became _just _that. I think I had every right to be pissed off."

"Oh, and you're no longer pissed off?" Sasuke inquired his cold tone a little teasing.

"It wore off." Came Neji's dry answer before sipping his drink.

"Took you damn long enough."

The Uchiha inhaled once more from his cigarette before smashing the rest of the tip on the old ashtray nearby.

"I don't know what you expected me to do after dumping me and starting dating Naruto a couple of days later," Neji replied, frowning and looking at him again. The sheer hurt and frustration Sasuke saw took him by surprise. "Was I supposed to cheer you on? Do you even have any idea how I felt when I realized you had been doing shit behind my back?"

The timbre wasn't angry, or even showed the frustration in his features, but it showed perfectly that it held some sort of wound that would take a while to heal.

"I didn't exactly want us to break up in the first place," Sasuke defended with gritted teeth, making his stool turn to the side so that he was now fully facing his captain. "There was nothing important at the time with him, there was…there was nothing to be expected. I was fine with you."

"But you fell for him nonetheless," Neji groaned, also turning to the younger one on the stool with stunning speed. "And you did it because you wanted to, because no matter how fine you were with me, how great we were together, how easier it was between us, I was just not _him_."

Sasuke blinked many times and frowned deeply, keeping silent for a few moments. In a way, Neji was right, but he just couldn't understand what it was that his captain's whole body language was trying to tell him – the way he looked at him, that weird wrinkle on his marked forehead, the almost imperceptible raged way he was breathing.

"It's not that I didn't like you, Neji," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head from side to side. "I did…I do. I still feel that attraction towards who you are. You of all people should know that."

"But I'm not good enough," Neji cut in, and now his voice felt like ice cutting through Sasuke's heart and making him finally start to get angry. "I'm not good enough to fall in love with; I'm not good enough to erase that weird shit that's always been going on between you and him."

"We were trying out, Neji, you said so yourself!" Sasuke exclaimed, losing his patience. He hadn't argued with the long haired man in quite a long time and he hated that it had to happen for something like that. He didn't want to talk about his feelings for Naruto, neither did he want Neji to fully comprehend how much the blond meant in his life.

He did wish Neji could understand what _he_ meant in his life.

"I expected you to take things seriously!" The Hyuuga spat.

Somehow Neji had gotten closer without standing up and was looking downright threatening. Luckily for Sasuke, he had seen that look too many times before to be intimidated by it.

"I did take things seriously; I stood my ground for you! " And now Sasuke was on the verge of shouting. "I wanted to fall for you, I wanted us to work, but he's…I don't know what he is, but somehow everything fell into place and I couldn't back away from him. I didn't want to hurt you anymore; I didn't want you to get in too deep and…"

And then there were lips roughly pressed against his in urgent demanding, a tongue he had almost forgotten the taste lashing out to invade his mouth with all its might. The kiss was fierce, painful and desperate, again trying to transmit something that was still not quite reaching the raven's soul.

Sasuke was assaulted by an urge to pull away at first, but then that little thing out of place made him simply groan in exasperation and eventually give in just because there was that little something that screamed at him that it was the best choice. So he kissed back defiantly in a way that was very different from even the most violent kisses he shared with Naruto. It was almost territorial, threatening and even though there was some form of passion, there was no feeling to. Neji could only go so far and he probably knew it since he made no move to touch him.

When they broke apart, they were both panting and frowning at each other at how different it was from the kisses they had shared as lovers.

Neji sighed once again and ran a hand through his hair in defeat.

"How ridiculous…" He whispered, closing his eyes for the briefest moment. "How absolutely wasteful."

"Did it not suit your tastes, Hyuuga-sama?" Sasuke joked ruefully, even though his face was straight with seriousness.

"Oh, it did," Came Neji's reply, accompanied by a short, cold laugh. "But I still can't get through to you, it seems."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm in love with you and you can't even tell".

Of all the things he had heard in his life (including Naruto's own confession), that was probably the one that horrified Sasuke the most.

Neji did not do that sort of thing. While Naruto was a soft hearted moron, Neji was not the kind of person to just blurt out something like that when they had only been together for such a short period.

"You're not serious…" He gasped, in barely a whisper.

"I am," And by his tone, filled with mock at Sasuke's dumbstruck look, it was almost believable. "I didn't want to tell you when we were dating because I was scared you might run off."

A sharp silence followed in which they just stared at each other.

"Why me?" Was all the Uchiha could ask, blindly and urgently searching with his hand for the glass with the beverage that was waiting for him as anxiously as he was waiting to drink it. "What is it with you people fancying me for no reason at all? I'm terrible boyfriend material!"

"Naruto would disagree; he's clearly been in heaven for the past few weeks." Neji said, watching with amusement as Sasuke picked up the glass and downed its contents until there wasn't a single drop left. "You're a pretty good fuck as well, I'm sure he already knows that too."

Sasuke almost spit everything out but managed to gulp it before something disastrous happened.

"Fuck you, Neji." He spat, slamming the glass down on the counter. "Why are you even telling me this?"

"I was hoping to sleep with you of course." The clear eyed man said simply, grabbing the pack of cigarettes peacefully resting between them next to his own glass.

"I'm in a relationship!" Sasuke snapped, with barely contained anger.

"So were you back then."

"I didn't have sex with him while I was still with you!"

"Oh?" Neji took one single cigarette from the pack and brought it to his own lips. He rarely smoked, there was really nothing pleasant about it, but only in times like these he enjoyed it because it was something that somehow brought him closer to the Sharingan bearer.

"It's the truth." Sasuke insisted, finding some sort of composure and bringing his hand to the pocket of his jacket.

"We could still do it," Neji suggested, grabbing the lighter Sasuke extended him and lighting the cigarette on the flickering flame. "You owe me. You could've at least fucked me before dumping me, which would've been way more dramatic."

"You're such an asshole I'm kind of surprised how I managed to miss you." Sasuke groaned feeling rather miserable and bad humored. "And forget it. I didn't exactly dump you because I wanted to screw around, you know."

Once more they fell silent for a while, Neji taking a puff in his cigarette as he waited and watched intently Sasuke getting his own and lighting it. The eyed each other challengingly for what felt like hours.

"It's that serious, huh?" The older one muttered, eyes narrowing at Sasuke's soft blush.

"Who knows?" The raven huffed, scratching the inside of his elbow with an annoyed expression. "I don't know, Neji. It's not perfect, but somehow it's…it works. It's _it_. I can't explain it, and I'm sorry for hurting you, but I can't change it, and I won't."

Neji huffed.

"I know that."

"It also doesn't change the fact that you're my captain and that I still need you beside me, as a friend, to keep me company on boring days like this."

Neji just smiled tiredly, letting a small gag escape his throat with disbelief.

"And you still wonder why people fall for you?" He inquired, rolling his eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to have sex? Cause you really owe me and this talk is kind of making me hard."

Sasuke punched his shoulder roughly.

"I'm not doing anything else with you!" He barked, irritably. "No more sex, no more kissing, no more nothing!" Sasuke groaned, raising his voice and attracting the attention of some of the people around them, but who luckily diverted their attention quickly enough. "What did you expect from confessing, anyway? That _now_ I would dump Naruto to be with _you_? And don't talk about sex anymore; I like to believe you're a little more mature than that."

"Actually, I'm very childish," Neji said, smirking. "And I already know it would be useless to try and separate the two of you. I just wanted you to know my feelings for future reference," Neji muttered, still smiling and consequentially allowing Sasuke to relax. "Maybe someday you'll notice me again. Until then, just keep in mind that I'll be your friend, like you want, and be by your side whenever you need, even on boring nights like this, unconditionally."

Sasuke managed to smile a little at that. It seemed like the whole tension of the encounter was dissipating, the grip in his heart caused by Neji's absence loosening up. He still couldn't really believe his captain was in love with him – maybe he was just joking to make him feel guilty; it was hard to tell when he was such a composed, perfectionist person.

Still, as long as Neji managed to respect his new relationship with Naruto and kept to his promise of being friends, it was all fine.

For some reason, now he truly believed the stoic Hyuuga would most definitely stay in his life, for better or worse. If they had made it through that disastrous break up, they would make it through anything that presented itself in the future.

"Thank you." He said, using a softer tone now that he felt safer, lighter even, to prove how much he meant it.

"Whatever," Neji shrugged elegantly, throwing long strands of his silky hair behind his back. "You still have to pay somehow. You can start by paying for the drinks, and for the next round as well, and then we'll see how I can plot to _decently_ turn you into my slave until you seal your debt.

"You're such a fucking bastard..."

000

"So this is it, huh?" Sakura whispered as her eyes scanned the deserted alleys of the Uchiha compound. It was the first time ever she was actually inside the compound since she had passed by it many times before, especially as a child, in hopes of getting a chance to have a glimpse of a very cute, younger version of her prince charming.

Sakura remembered how that now forsaken place had been lively with the commotion of people walking about, minding their own business, running about to do whatever it was that they had to do. At the time, she had thought that the Uchiha seemed like a nice, warm clan, what with their impossibly dark eyes and dark hair that seemed to always reflect some sort of color. She also remembered passing by after the Uchiha massacre and wondering how on earth her beloved Sasuke-kun could live alone in such a large, empty area.

All those years later, there she was, finally standing in front of the house she had wanted to enter so much for so long and she felt hollow. She had never gotten inside Sasuke's house and she was sure it would take a little longer for her to be allowed such a privilege. Even Naruto had surpassed her at that.

Though the streets around her and Naruto were deserted, the truth was that behind all those vacant houses a lot of agitation was happening as Gennin and Chuunin placed exploding seals everywhere that was supposed to be tearing down.

"Yep, this is it," Naruto agreed solemnly, standing beside her with his bright blue eyes fixed on the house he knew so well. "It'll all be over soon."

"It's a big house, isn't it?" Sakura commented in barely a whisper, glancing at her friend. "I can't believe Sasuke-kun lived here for so long, all by himself…it looks rather haunted."

"I'm sure it will be better once the compound itself no longer exists," Naruto sighed, a small, endearing smile forming in his lips. "He wants to remodel it, add a few rooms and stuff, build a huge back yard and private training grounds…you know how he is, always thinking big, planning for the future…he's already thinking about how many kids he wants, and how many kids _I _may want…it's kinda crazy actually."

Sakura found herself smiling as well.

"It's only been little over a month and you guys are already thinking about such things?" She asked, giggling softly at Naruto's blush. "What comes next, marriage?"

"It's our two month anniversary today!" Naruto protested, puffing indignantly. "Besides, we're not getting any younger."

"Yes, because you are so terribly old at nineteen," She joked, nudging his side playfully and making him giggle as well. "And how many kids would it be – yours and his?"

"About seven, or something," Naruto explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "He wants about four of his, two boys and two girls, and I'll be fine with just two or three of my own, I don't really care what gender they are. Well, but this is all very relative, they would all be raised as both our kids so it doesn't really matter."

"That's a lot of kids for two men to raise, you know." Sakura said, eyeing Naruto with simple curiosity. "And, I mean…well, I cannot imagine how someone so restless as you and someone so impatient like Sasuke-kun could handle so much."

"We'll manage," Naruto said, nodding confidently and winking at her, startling the pink haired girl with the sentence she had heard so many times before. "We always have, always will."

Sakura swallowed hard but nodded back slowly, smiling sweetly once more.

"Yes, you sure have."

As the two stared at the last Uchiha's house in comfortable silence, in the background someone was shouting firm orders of retreat. The demolition would start soon, Sakura concluded, biting her lip to prevent herself from crying.

After all, Sasuke's past, his childhood and the visual memories of his previous life would be erased and demolished with all those dusty buildings. Any evidence that there had even been a clan named Uchiha was going to vanish into thin air.

She wondered how Sasuke must feel. Did he even think about it at all? Was he happy to be away on an ANBU mission?

Would he hurt if he saw his home, his past, being destroyed, even if it was his choice in the first place?

Seeking some comfort, her hand searched her side and quickly found Naruto's, her fingers wrapping automatically around his strongly. Unsurprised, and without moving anything else, Naruto let his own fingers close around hers before inhaling sharply.

She turned her head to look at him and found that his eyes were closed, head tilted down as if in silent prayer. From afar, another voice was telling people to step back and take cover. Sakura was thankful that the entrance to the compound would be the last thing to be taken down; otherwise they would not have been able to have been there in the first place.

Following her teammate's lead, she closed her eyes as well and focused herself on making a coherent prayer.

She would not cry. She had promised herself she would no longer cry for Sasuke's sake and would only learn to be strong for both him and Naruto, and that's what she would do.

And so she prayed. She prayed for the souls of the Uchiha that were brutally murdered years before; she prayed for the prosperity of those lands and for the success of the orphanage that was yet to be built. She prayed for a bright future for herself and everyone she loved, and most of all, prayed for happiness. Sasuke and Naruto's happiness, the one they had been fighting so hard to achieve and maintain for so long.

An exploding noise was heard, accompanied by the uprising roar of things being crushed, blown apart and helplessly falling down.

Sakura felt herself shivering involuntarily as her eyes shot open. She was more than glad that from where they were they did not have to see what was going on with the demolition.

"I'm glad you could come." Naruto muttered softly, once more looking at the big house in front of them but now with an expression that bordered on some kind of dreamy hope, like he was idealizing something, which, Sakura realized, he might be. For some reason, the unusual calm in his voice was enough to calm her nerves as well.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world…" She whispered, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Neither would I."

Another explosion echoed through the morning air but it was definitely not loud enough to stifle the all too familiar voice behind them.

Both Sakura and Naruto looked over their shoulders to see the tall figure behind them.

No matter how many times she saw the ANBU attire, the pink haired girl was always torn between finding Sasuke sexy, or just plain threatening while wearing it. Either way, it made her heart race just a little to see the dark clothes, the long, pitch black cloak and the aggressive ceramic mask with the painted snout of a red fox covering his features. Sakura could see the Sharingan still activated behind the slits of the mask and it made her legs tremble slightly. The long Katana peeking out from behind his back did not help to make him look less deadly, but hey, he was supposed to look like that with the kind of jobs he had to do.

It was amazing that apart from the dust in his clothes, he looked as if he hadn't been away for five days at all.

Naruto, for his part, smiled broadly at the sight of the Uchiha, not at all affected by the heavy, unintentional aggressive aura that surrounded him.

"Bastard! I knew you'd come!" He said, well humorously but in a gentle tone.

"You always know everything, don't you?" Sasuke huffed, raising his gloved hand to pull off his mask and reveal his face. Sakura's eyes also noticed how the black gloves he wore had what looked like sharp nails at the tips of the fingers. That too looked frightening. What were those for, anyway?

"You look tired." She muttered taking in the purple circles under his eyes – the blood red in them was slowly fading into dark grey.

"I'm fine," He said, effectively dismissing her concern with a sigh. "Am I late?"

"Nope, it just started," Naruto said, looking up and pointing with his free hand to the smoke and dust that was rising from behind Sasuke's house. "I'm guessing it'll take a while to get to this area though."

"Good".

Sasuke walked the few steps it took to reach them and promptly and elegantly came to a halt by Sakura's side right side. She watched him closely, trying to find something in his beautiful eyes as he stared at the smoke that filled the air, but finding nothing revealing.

Sakura thought that maybe his feelings towards the Compound were being blown apart and tarnished just like those very buildings. Maybe he was finally being purified, cleansed, and released from the heavy burden he had been carrying all those years.

Now he would be able to move on and start over. He would be able to rebuild his new life, choose how he wanted his future to be.

Swallowing hard, Sakura used her free hand to shyly touch Sasuke's, the rough fabric of the gloves startling her briefly. Sasuke jumped slightly at the contact and turned his head to her, finding her gentle smile of pleading encouragement.

Still as impassive as ever, he nodded, turned his head back towards the sky and moved his hand so that it was grasping hers.

Feeling her chest filled with joy, she allowed her smile to become lighter, more carefree as she squeezed both Sasuke's and Naruto's hands in hers.

They both squeezed back at the same time, silently reassuring her that everything would be alright, that they were there and that, no matter what, they were a team.

They didn't need any words at that point. That moment was theirs and it was easy to comprehend the love and compassion that was filling those three young hearts.

Not pity, no; especially not pity for Sasuke's sake.

There was only joy and hope suffocated by that silent, cursed, yet blessed goodbye.

"I'm sorry…" Sakura heard Sasuke whisper, and it wasn't said to her, or Naruto, but she was sure they both heard it. "I'm sorry…"

And then he fell silent. When Sakura looked at him again, his eyes were softer, but still proud and stoic as usual. He was fine. Sasuke was finally freeing himself.

How good could it get?

They were a family; he was not alone, the rosette thought, and even though her two friends had chosen a path that did not include her, she felt that now, somehow, everything was finally balanced and exactly how it should be. They understood each other; they knew what they wanted, what they needed.

No matter what, even Sasuke now understood that she needed them and that she would be there, right behind them, always. They were her boys, after all, and she would take care of them, just like she was their girl, the woman of their lives, and they would protect her right to the end.

Yes. Even though it still hurt, it was exactly as it should be, and life would move on just the way it was supposed to.

000

The front door to Naruto's small apartment burst open all the way to violently collide against the wall. As two figures clumsily stumbled in, bodies pressed against each other and mouths glued by a kiss filled with all kinds of moans and sloppy noises. The rain that could be heard outside was still able to be a little louder than them for the moment being.

Holding on to his lover's waist, the blond of the two blindly tried to kick backwards while desperately clinging to the source of heat and emotion in front of him. Eventually he managed to kick the door shut and let out a sigh of relief against the thin, soft lips he had come to worship.

Both he and Sasuke were sopping wet from having run all the way from the Jounin Station while it poured outside, and he could feel their clothes dripping all over the wooden floor, but somehow neither of them were cold, quite the opposite – Naruto felt like they were burning.

It was a feeling he couldn't get tired of either, a feeling he always missed no matter how many times he experienced it.

There was Sasuke's body, pressed hard and firm against his, and Sasuke's rough hands, one possessive and demanding on his hair, the other, however, touching the curve of his neck and moving to caress his face with dissimulated gentleness. There was Sasuke's tongue, expert but carefree inside his mouth, then on his bottom lip before he used those pretty teeth of his to bite down hard enough to project a wave of awareness through him but not intending to hurt.

Naruto couldn't breathe. He couldn't afford to, otherwise he feared he would miss something big, something important and there was no time to waste – the everyday life already stole enough of it as it was – and so he kept on kissing, his own hands now coming up between them to unzip the raven's green vest. Even the few seconds it took for Sasuke to break the kiss, let go of him and dispose of the offending piece of clothing seemed a waste of precious time, and yet, Naruto still had his own vest to remove, which made him huff in annoyance.

Sensing his distress, Sasuke offered a smug smile and Naruto knew that when that smile came, it meant that the Uchiha had officially claimed his momentary control over the situation. That was fine, if only the damn bastard weren't such a tease. Thank goodness he seemed to be as impatient as Naruto himself was – even if he was better at pretending otherwise.

Blue eyes pierced steely ones. He wanted to make a silent plea with them, but was suddenly captivated by Sasuke's handsome features – there was just something so sickly sexy about him when he was all wet like that – and he wasn't sure if he managed to get the message across. Still, Sasuke was and effective in removing the heavy and uncomfortable vest, throwing it away somewhere near where his own vest had fallen.

Now free from removing the soaked vest, Naruto threw himself at Sasuke once more, immediately attacking his neck with his eager mouth, fingers shamelessly creeping inside his black sweater to feel the light muscles on his back as the brunette roughly grabbed both his ass cheeks possessively, making him moan.

He needed some sort of stable surface and he needed it _now._ The floor was good, right? Might be too cold and a little dirty but…

"And here I thought I was finally going to get a glimpse at Hinata-chan's fantastic boobies…"

Naruto immediately broke away from Sasuke and they both looked to the side where, crouching on the windowsill of the now open window by the bed, Jiraya was staring curiously at them, also soaking wet.

Naruto gulped. Sasuke moaned in frustration.

Of all the times his former mentor could choose to return from his six month travel for research, it just had to be _now_.

"Ero-sennin…" Naruto whispered, desolated, arms heavily slipping away from the inside of his lover's clothes. "You really have terrible timing…"

**- Owari -**

TBC in "A Distance There is".


	15. Extra: Spice NaruSasu

**Disclaimer:** Not mine – Kishimoto Masashi's. I wish I gained something from writing this, but I don't.

**A/N: **After forever, the smutty extra has finally been released!

It's my first smut ever. Be gentle. Smut is hard to write, albeit exciting. I won't be writing such long sex scenes anytime soon, of that you guys can be sure.

I'm embarrassed. I wrote smut, OMFG.

So, I had this as a sort-of-one-shot, but then decided to erase it and post it as a chapter here, right after the Epilogue.

It's Un-beta'd, but it's been edited, hopefully it's better now.

It's their first time together, so it can be placed somewhere in the middle of the Epilogue.

To those of you who haven't read it yet, have a nice reading, and don't forget to let me know what you think!

To those who did, I remind you that the **Prologue** for **"A Distance There Is" - "The Longest Line" Sequel -** has already been released, so go read it and make sure you comment and add it to your alert list if you want to know how this story finishes.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Spice<span>**

It's not like I'm already making myself at home or anything. I'm quite aware that it's only been a few days since we officially started going out. It's just that if I'm going to be spending some time at Sasuke's place from now on, I might as well get rid of the ghosts from his past. So to speak, because fortunately, Neji is still alive and well. I just don't want to be confronted with his stuff while I'm lurking around.

Sasuke is watching me as I walk back and forth within the house with a medium sized card box under my arm. He silently follows me wherever I go with his hands inside his pockets and I'm not sure if he's doing it out of annoyance or amusement – I haven't looked at his face yet so as to not disrupt my concentration.

There are already a lot of things inside the box I carry – more than I had predicted at least – and now I'm rummaging through Sasuke's wardrobe in his bedroom to remove all the extra clothes there that I know don't belong to either of us, and recklessly throw them into the box. Once finished, I effectively move on to the chest of drawers and do the same.

"I assume you're having a blast." Sasuke says finally, and his tone is firm but not reproachful, which leads me to think that he is, in fact, pretty much amused.

"Well, someone has to do it," I reply. My nose twitches as I pick up a few t-shirts that scream 'Neji!' just by glancing at them.

"How the hell do you know all that stuff is Neji's, anyway?" Sasuke is now leaning against the door frame. "We have a pretty similar fashion sense."

"Yeah, but I kind of get a weird, pompous vibe out of his things," I say, looking at him briefly and grinning a little. "Besides, he's taller than you."

"Not by much," He defends, smiling slightly back. "You could've waited for Neji to come and take his things, though."

"He's still mad at you, who knows when that'll happen," I mutter, putting the last piece of clothing in the box and closing the drawer. "I really don't want to see his things anywhere near yours for a long while if I can help it."

"Right, Mr. Jealous," He jokes, rolling his eyes at me.

"I'm not jealous, just claiming my righteous place in your house." I defend.

"Of course you are. Are you done with that?"

I throw the box somewhere to the ground – it falls steadily with a loud 'thump'. When I turn to look at him, I'm smiling openly and he shakes his head from side to side in a way that I know he's silently calling me an idiot.

"Just go and take a shower already; you stink," He says dryly, straightening and turning his back on me. "I'll get dinner started."

He walks off to the kitchen and out of my field of vision. I raise my left arm to sniff under my armpit. Yep, it really stinks, but I'm somehow too happy that he didn't scold me for touching Neji's things without permission to take offense anyway.

"Can I borrow something to wear?" I ask, fumbling with my black sweater from the Jounin uniform and taking it off, throwing it to the side so that it lands on the king-sized bed.

"Sure," Sasuke's voice in the kitchen is calm, accompanied by the loud noise of cabinet doors being slammed shut, but I know he's going to say something to piss me off next. "Why don't you borrow something from Neji since you're so familiar with his belongings?"

I know he's just being sarcastic, but I still can't help to yell a fake with irritation "Fuck you bastard!"

000

I return to the kitchen, all washed up and dressed in a pair of black pajama pants and a dark red t-shirt, feet bare. Sasuke is by the counter, his back to me and already there are a lot of small bowls filled with various ingredients neatly settled next to him. The sound of something being chopped fills the air next to the distinctive smell of tobacco smoke.

It's not like I dislike the fact that he smokes – I've long since accepted that that shit is a part of him he won't easily let go. I actually like the smell and like watching him smoke since he looks damn sexy while doing it. He knows it's bad for him, but It's not like I need to tell him that and it would be hypocritical of me to say something like 'it'll kill you' considering his profession.

I walk over to him until I'm behind him and wrap my arms around his waist with practiced ease, marveling in the fact that he remains relaxed as though he was already expecting it.

"What're you cooking?" I ask, resting my chin over his right shoulder and watching his hands work effectively on slicing an onion over a small, wooden board.

"I'm just making a salad." He mumbles in a weird way, and I realize he's holding the cigarette on his lips.

"Aw, no _Ramen_?" I can't hide the slight disappointment having been expecting that he would at least cook something with noodles just to please me. But Sasuke is Sasuke, and he does whatever he wants.

"No fucking _Ramen_ today." He agrees simply, nodding once.

"You're an evil, evil man."

"I know."

My hands move slowly over the fabric of his white t-shit, feeling the stiff muscles of his abdomen. Every day I wonder how it is possible to feel so good to be able to touch him freely like this, without fear of rejection, without guilt. I also wonder why I like to touch him so much when his body is so hard and so different from the round, soft and plump curves of Hinata's body.

Sasuke is rough, and strong, and I'm not afraid that I might break him. I'm not afraid of anything at all with him. Maybe that's why his body looks and feels so amazing to me, and nothing seems strange.

He makes a gentle sound with the back of his throat and leans his back against my chest, making me smile and kiss the curve of his neck.

My eyes look at the counter and I see the many ingredients that are in the bowls – tomatoes, carrots, boiled eggs, a few slices of ham and a larger bowl with fresh looking lettuce. Beside this there is a smaller one with something white and apparently liquid.

"What's that?" I ask him, while pointing at the bowl.

"Yogurt sauce," He replies, shrugging a little. "It's to put on the salad. Just something I heard Ino talking about once."

"Can I try it?"

"As long as you don't make a mess."

I fight the temptation of trying to drag him along with me to where the sauce is – the damn thing just has to be out of reach – and end up letting him go. From the corner of my eye I see him taking the cigarette from his mouth and smashing into the ashtray on his left.

The grin of satisfaction that assaults my face as I dive my index finger into the sauce goes unnoticed by him, who is now washing his hands with vigor on the sink. I stuck the finger in my mouth and this makes him look sideways at me.

The yogurt is bitter, but whatever seasoning Sasuke has added to it gave it just the right texture and salty flavor. I make an appreciation sound with the back of my throat.

"This is so good," I say, licking the finger clean before sticking it inside the sauce once more and repeating my previous actions. I do it again. And then, again.

And all the while, Sasuke has turned to face me and is now staring seriously with one hand in his hip and the other over the edge of the counter.

"Would you stop tarnishing my sauce with your finger?" He sounds exasperated, and even though he's frowning I smile mischievously at his words.

"That sounded so dirty." I reply, now licking my lips from the salty taste in them and noticing how his eyes stop looking into mine to watch the action.

"It is dirty since your slobber is all over it now," Sasuke sighs, but his features relax and he smirks a little. "At least give me some as well."

I immediately pick up the little bowl and offer it to him. When he just stares at me with an eyebrow raised, I raise both of mine in questioning and he rolls his eyes, his mood lightening up.

"I can't believe how oblivious you are…" He replies with a slight chuckle.

It takes a while for me to fully acknowledge what he's saying, but the way the corner of his lip quirks upwards rather predatorily totally turns the lights on inside my head.

_Oh._

He's totally coming on to me, and that is something I'm still not that used to yet. It doesn't mean I don't love it anyway. The Kami forbid that the day comes when I won't feel fascinated by anything remotely affectionate coming from him.

"Oh!" The exclamation comes out as excited as the feeling itself in me at his words, so I stick the finger – not the one I had previously been licking on, but the one from the opposite hand – into the sauce and set the bowl down once more on the counter before shoving said finger in front of his face.

Sasuke is smiling as he eyes it bemusedly. He takes a small step closer until my finger is a few millimeters from his lips, and then the gray of his eyes looks straight into mine as his pink tongue darts out gently to lick its tip. My facial muscles relax slowly at this, my own smile fading away almost instantly at the feel and sight of it.

Sasuke swallows slowly, eyes with unwavering resolution. Then his hand reaches out, fingers wrapping themselves around my wrist firmly before he parts his lips and takes half of my finger into his mouth.

It suddenly becomes hard to breathe as my heart starts beating a little faster. His tongue is soft and moist, and a little playful, swirling and licking around my finger, and I can't take my eyes off of him, and he knows, just _knows_ he's having an effect on me. His administrations send a prickling feeling to my hand, up my arm, and a shiver down my spine.

He knew it from the very start that everything he does pulls me in. He knows now that he's making me hard in my pants. He knows I know, but then again, his body language has always been straightforward in these things.

His thumb rubs the inside of my wrist. He bites my finger harder than necessary before tugging my hand away and removing it from his mouth.

There is another kind of smile gracing is pretty lips now that makes my face feel warm even though I'm not embarrassed.

"You're such a tease," I mutter, offering a weak smile.

I take a deep breath when he comes closer and wraps his arms around my waist.

In moments like these, I am really thankful that we're the same height, otherwise I wouldn't be able to feel his heart, beating strongly against mine, or his breathing so wonderfully close to my lips.

"I'm no such thing," Sasuke whispers, all traces of smiles and amusement gone from his features. "I think my message is actually pretty clear."

And it is. Especially when he closes the already short distance between us - his lips meet mine in the softest of gestures, his mouth soft, moving ever so slightly in teasing for a while and I sigh in contempt as my heart beats a little faster. As his tongue lashes out seductively to find mine, I move my arms to encircle his neck and bring him closer because all I want right now is to keep his body glued to mine and listen to the unique noises we make as we kiss, one gentle move now, a more passionate one a few seconds later.

There is the taste of salt and yoghurt, and the spiciness of the tobacco mingling between us, and I think it's delicious. It's him. It's us.

Sasuke's expert and curious fingers are suddenly messing with the hem of my t-shirt for a few seconds, as if pondering what to do next, but I know he's just being playful, trying to tease me into expectancy. I giggle against his lips. His teeth try to bite me but I break away from him, still amused, and he flashes one of his most seductive smirks at me. I doubt that he knows he's being sexy at all, he just acts and reacts and that's all he has to do to make turn into a puddle of goo.

His hands travel to the inside of my t-shirt to touch my skin, the tips of his fingers running teasingly upwards to my shoulder blades, making me shiver. He then uses his nails to scratch the path back down my back gently, and I can't help but to moan a little, my head automatically falling to the side at the feel of it, eyes closing. Without wasting any time, he attacks my exposed neck with enthusiasm, his lips nipping the curve all the way up to my jawline and then his teeth, nibbling possessively on my ear.

Sasuke's breath is a little raged but I like the sound of it, just like I like the gentle brush of his bangs in my cheek and the way he smells. He smells so nice I just want to inhale him whole. I love the fresh feel of the saliva tracks he leaves on me.

I quickly turn my head to the side so that we can kiss once more as I close both my fists in the abnormal softness of his hair and press myself even harder against him, which causes him to stumble backwards a little and hit something - the table, I assume.

I can't help but to think how convenient that is because it gives me some advantage, and I waste no time in placing my right leg between his - consequentially placing one of his between mine as well - rubbing our bodies together in the most pleasant of ways.

"Damn it, you idiot..." Sasuke gasps at the contact but his voice comes out like a strangled hiss. He sounds a little taken aback and annoyed, but is the first to move his hips to eagerly rock his hips to run against my thigh and I realize he's anxious and frustrated.

Feeling his obvious erection makes my body feel like it's on fire. Flashing hundreds of signals to me, his message is, once again, pretty clear. "Sasuke..." I moan, placing small but firm kisses on the corner of his mouth. "I'm...so fucking turned on right now."

It's actually funny that I feel at ease and don't feel scared, or embarrassed. We've done a few things since we started dating and this is just the beginning of something else. I don't really care that this is unknown territory; I just follow my instincts and obey to my body's wishes because that is what I want to do. I've wanted Sasuke since the whole mess started and he knows it. He knows how I feel, and how he feels and brought us to where we are today. So why hide it now of all times? Why run or stop or hesitate? It would make no sense, not when his narrowed eyes are begging for me and his hands are pulling my t-shirt up. I don't really have to think about any of this, I just lift my arms obediently to allow him to remove the offending piece of clothing and throw it away.

The most important part of me has already been offered to him willingly, and compared to that, this is just an extra when I am literally willing to give everything I have and take everything I can from him, because that is what we both want.

Sasuke's dark eyes seriously scrutinize my body for a while, like a perverted Doctor would do, before his hands come into contact with my naked shoulders. They don't tremble at all but move over my skin with surprising gentleness as they steadily caress them. His hands travel lower, to my chest, agile fingers brushing ever so slightly over my sensible nipples and then going lower once more, to feel my abdomen, and all the while I let him because I want to feel his touch and because watching his face contorted in yearning is something that should definitely be contemplated. I'm kind of proud that he obviously likes what he's seeing.

Maybe I'm the one who is a little perverted? Or maybe we both are.

The way his lips are a little parted makes me wonder if he's somehow fascinated by all of this. I sure am – have always been – absolutely entranced by everything we ever did together.

From our previous interludes, I'd say it's pretty obvious that we're both holding back at this particular moment. Sasuke is a fierce, aggressive type of person and if I were to be faithful to my body's needs – and his, as well –, I would probably just tear his clothes off and fuck him dry until he couldn't stand up straight. As it is, this is my first time with a guy, with _him_, and somehow I want to savor it, make it last, at least this once. I'm not nervous, nor do I care for perfection, I just don't want it to go terribly wrong.

Sasuke's hands move to the hem of my pants but I grab his wrists then, and he lifts his head up to look at me and I can't read his expression at all. He looks dazed and beautiful, his usually pale features painted in a very soft pink color.

"I can't be the only one getting naked." I say, smiling a little, earning a small smile in return.

I step away only a little bit to see him remove his own t-shirt, soon exposing a smooth chest and pale, well defined abs, and even though this isn't the first time I'm seeing this at all, I can't help but lick my upper lip in awe.

The seal the priestess placed upon him is showing, not the usual vivid black like when we spar, but a gentle grey, as if it's faded.

I contemplate it vaguely as he lets the fabric fall at our feet, but waste no time in reaching out for him, at once pressing my lips to his collar bone, trailing hungry kisses all over his chest.

He leans backwards slightly when my teeth nibble none too gently on his left nipple. I'm aware of one of his hands being placed upon the table behind him for support as another grabs the top of my head.

When his fingers close around my hair, he moans – a soft, appreciative sound that makes my head spin – but I only move lower, getting on my knees without hesitation.

My hands work quickly as I languidly lick his bellybutton, relishing in the clean taste of him – the seal area is slightly warmer than the rest of his skin – the tips of my fingers going inside the hem of both his boxers and his sweat pants, effectively pushing them down a bit to reveal his very erect cock.

With my heart in hammering in my ears and my chest constricting with lust, I contemplate the organ for a few seconds, conscious of Sasuke's attentive eyes on me. He is now petting my head gently, as if trying to silently reassure me that he's fine with whatever I want to do.

I'm not scared of his cock. Hell, why should I be when I have one of my own? It's not like I don't know what to do with it, it's not like it's ugly or repulsive. I've touched if before, too.

It's just that I feel suddenly overwhelmed by all of this. After all we've gone through, here we are and I'm not scared because I want every bit of it, and I…

"I won't get mad if you don't want to do it." Sasuke's voice is so soft he could've been talking to a child. "I know this is all very new to you, so…"

Heh. As if I wouldn't want to do it.

"Don't ruin the mood, bastard," I chuckle, glancing upwards just to show him my determination. "I'm more into this than you probably are."

His eyebrow quirks up seductively.

"Somehow I highly doubt that."

"Well, I'm not a pussy."

"That you certainly are not."

I let out a small chuckle before focusing of what's in front of me.

When I grab for his cock he pets me a few more times and I let him before I start moving my hand in slow, careful strokes that make him purr. I have to admit I'm a little worked up with impatience, and yet I watch my hand move and the way the pink head appears once in a while when the skin is pulled back. Sasuke hums once in a while, patiently indulging me. Soon, a few transparent drops start leaking out, slowly, from the tiny slit and I take the chance to lick it clean with the tip of my tongue. It's salty and a little slimy but not all that unpleasant.

Sasuke jerks softly at the unexpected contact and I give his cock a few other tentative licks to get used to the taste. I then engulf it with my mouth and suck.

It's not an easy thing, having a penis inside your mouth and trying to do something with it. Sasuke's size is not all that humble and it's hard to just keep my mouth open, trying not to let my teeth scrap anything important and still managing, somehow, to swirl my tongue around the head that just seems to swell with every second that goes by. It's a little uncomfortable, but I don't really mind it all that much since I intend to get used to as soon as I can.

Sasuke lets out a shaky breath and an appreciative sigh that makes my own cock twitch slightly – listening to his voice like that is just….

So I suck a little harder – one of my hands cupping his ball sack to squeeze it gently as the other grabs a firm hold on one of his ass cheeks – and make an effort to take him deeper, making sure my tongue slides over his length in the process before pulling out a bit and repeating it a few more times.

Sasuke's breath becomes even more raged at that, his fingers gripping my hair strongly. His hips move almost imperceptibly like he's keeping himself from fucking my mouth. The thought makes me smile and I actually let out a small chuckle around his cock that makes him hiss – I assume it's the vibration feel to it.

The next thing I know, my hair is being tugged backwards rudely and I am forced to let his cock slip from my mouth with a loud, rather wet popping noise.

My eyes look upwards to meet Sasuke's dark grey ones to see them predatorily narrowed.

He looks mad. No, not mad, hungry. Eager. Impatient.

_So fucking sexy._

I feel strained, trapped by those eyes, my own breathing coming out in harsh, painful huffs. I want to make him feel good but I want him to do something, too. I want him all over me; I want him so much I feel like I'll die if I don't have him right now.

"That's enough of that, Naruto." He murmurs voice a little raspy and intense, silky bangs framing his face. "Get up."

And I do so, anxiously and obediently, so we can face each other once more.

For a fraction of second we stare at each other, breaths mingling between us, bare chests touching; the tip of his furious erection brushing over my abdomen.

And then, all hell breaks loose and all my previous ideas of taking our time are promptly pushed aside because his lips slam into mine, brusquely and painfully, teeth clanking with the force of it.

My mind becomes clouded as we kiss sloppily, his hands work quickly yet efficiently to pull my pants and boxers down with one hand – and I assume he is using the other one to remove his own the rest of the way down. We stumble a bit to step out of our remaining clothes and kick them away before colliding against each other once more with urgency.

My arms go around his neck to hold him close, but his right hand is already working its way to both our erections, holding them both in his palm and pumping them at a fast, yet confident pace. They're both warm and so fucking hard I feel like I'm about to cum.

The sudden pleasurable sensation leads me to let out an incoherent whine and bury my face on the curve of his neck, licking at it, and biting and just pulling him close because it all feels too good.

I move my head and we kiss again, longingly, intensely, my hips automatically thrusting on his hand to feel more, to be more in contact and more aware of the amazing frictions of our cocks rubbing together, pre-cum leaking out from both of them and coating them with the blissful slime.

I'm so shameless when I'm with him, but I don't care. I just care about now and how I wish we could just do this forever.

Sasuke says something against my mouth I don't understand, but then proceeds to grunt his own contentment with the most erotic noises I have ever heard.

After what feels like hours of dry humping and making out – but then again, it didn't feel like long enough, so it probably only lasted a few seconds – our skins begin feeling stickier and slippery against each other and the pleasure of it all pools inside my stomach, filling me with the urgent need for more, my whole being shaking wantonly.

Sasuke's hand stills and my hips do, too, but he leans backwards responsively when my head dives lower to bite at his left nipple first, and then moving to right, sucking on it unforgivingly.

He shivers violently and releases a loud groan with the back of his throat.

Panic runs through me. Is he coming already?

So I look down at our cocks still in his hand, but no, he isn't coming. I let out a relieved sigh.

He's just…

I look at him and his eyes are huge, desperate and his hand moves to grip my naked shoulder. He's breathing heavily and eyeing me with need and something akin to reproach.

I wonder how he managed to hold out for so long. Knowing him the way I do he isn't patient during sex at all.

Honestly, neither am I. I guess we just wanted to turn this into something sweet and romantic but…

I know we are both close. I know Sasuke wants to make this last, wants me to adapt to this situation since it's my first time like this, but I also know he's getting impatient and frustrated, and so am I.

Screw romance, I say. It's not like either of us is a virgin anyways. I mean, we're both guys.

"Can we just…fuck already?" I ask, voice trembling with need and hesitation, since I don't want to ruin this or make him mad.

"Yes, please…" He huffs, sounding relieved and exasperated, but still adding a "If you think you're ready, I mean…"

But I'm sure he knows I don't need to answer that. I'm no chicken; I just want him, no matter how.

The feeling is raw and passionate and eager and that's all I need – all I ever needed, in fact.

I slap his hand away from our cocks and his eyes become even more feral. I totally get why Neji – or anybody – would want to fuck him, or be fucked by him.

But he's mine now, and no one else's. Just thinking about it makes my chest swell with other many different, amazing feelings.

"Condoms and lube are in the drawer behind you." He blurts out, and I raise my eyebrows at him inquiringly.

"I don't want to know, do I?" I ask, and he smirks deviously.

"I just like to keep things at hands' reach," He says, leaning in to whisper seductively, lips brushing over mine lightly. "Now, are you fucking me or what?"

Oh, so that's how it's going to be, then? That's more than fine with me; even if I had mentally prepared myself to bottom, I don't mind topping at all.

I don't need to be told twice. I turn around and immediately open the drawer to rummage through it and end up finding the items hidden under the neatly folded kitchen cloths – a blue bottle of lube and a normal box of condoms.

I picked them up, use my ass to close the drawer and Sasuke promptly snatches the box from my hands and helps himself to one of the small packages inside. Fascinated, I watch him throw the box to the counter behind me, rip the tip of one of the tiny packages with his teeth and take out the condom. He throws the empty recipient away somewhere as well, and efficiently makes the light rubber roll over my erection, giving the tip a slight tug.

I press my lips to his one last time before breaking apart and grabbing his arms to turn him around so that he is facing the table, both hands over the surface, supporting his weight. I watch his back for a while, rubbing my palm possessively up and down his spine, relishing in the way it arches to meet my touch.

I open the bottle of lube at the same time that I kick his left foot slightly in a clear warning for him to spread his legs further apart, which he does without complaining. I pour some of the lube on my fingers and set the bottle on the table.

I know what I have to do. Even though he's male, I'm sure he needs as much preparation as a girl does, probably more.

My clean hand pushes one of his buttocks to the side to reveal his entrance.

His hole is rather pretty, all pink and so small I wonder how the fuck my dick is going to fit in there.

I must be staring at it like an idiot because Sasuke huffs impatiently.

"It'll fit, moron," He groans as if reading my thoughts, looking over his shoulder. "It's not the first time I'm doing this."

"You don't have to remind me, okay?" I reply, my cheeks burning up with the first flicker of embarrassment and annoyance. "Don't ruin the mood."

He rolls his eyes at me but proceeds to turn his head away.

Fine; if he says it'll fit, I'll just take his word for it. It's not like he needed to remind me that someone else has been in there before me, thank you very much.

I pucker up my lips in irritation and unceremoniously stick the tip of my index finger inside him, causing him to shiver in surprise. It's tight and rugged, as expected, but it doesn't stop me from shoving the rest of it all the way in until it can go no further.

Sasuke moans loudly when I slowly start thrusting my finger in and out of him and it doesn't take long for the tight cavern to loosen up a little.

I remove the first finger completely and then enter him once more with two. He shivers, hisses and mutters a series of curses, but since he isn't trying to punch me or yelling, I take that as a positive reply. He sounds in pain, gasping and twitching like this. I think I might've cum already if wasn't this focused on my goal.

I take my time fucking him with my fingers, twisting them inside him, testing his good spots, loving the way his muscles relax more and more with each thrust and his body shakes with mirth. I lean down to lick him between his shoulder blades and he moans almost pleadingly. He tastes salty form the sweat forming on his skin and my cock twitches painfully in a desperate need for attention, so I shove a third finger inside of him and hold him close from behind, palm flat running over his chest and downwards, until my fingers are brushing over his pubic hair.

His heart is beating frantically, like mine. He's all loose now, just for me. I can't take it much longer; I just want to be inside him and just…

"Fuck…" He gasps, as I remove my fingers from him and grab the bottle to pour some of it over my erection, carefully coating it with the crystalline fluid. "Naruto, I…"

His voice makes my tendons shake and my hands tremble.

"I know; I'm on it." I mutter, swallowing hard, moving a little away from him. I set the bottle down on the table once more, but it falls to the side and rolls over until it falls from the edge of the table and hits the ground.

Fuck it; I don't think I'll need it anymore, anyway.

I position my cock over his entrance, one hand on the base to keep the condom in place, the other holding his hips in place. The tip nudges its way in, causing Sasuke to form a pained, strangled sort of encouragement but I just watch, fascinated, as I bury myself slowly inside.

I thought he was loose enough, but he's still very tight and I am so not prepared for the feeling of it at all.

It's too much. I don't know if I can hold on much longer.

I want to delay it; I can't cum just now so I breathe in and out a few times before pressing forwards a bit more, one inch at the time.

The heat engulfs me like a powerful, evil force, so good that I just want to ram my way inside as hard as I can.

But I can't be like that; I can't do that to him. I like him, he's everything to me. I can't be like that on our first time, I have to…

Sasuke's shaky hand stretches out behind him and grabs the back of my thigh firmly, pulling me to him.

"What the hell are you afraid of?" He whispers, once more looking over his shoulder. He doesn't sound mad. Actually, he is speaking in a surprisingly gentle manner for someone who is all sweaty and panting and, fuck, he looks so needy… "I'm not a fucking girl so just…do it, already!"

My teeth bite into my lower lip.

"But I…"

"Naruto…" He sounds patient now, almost sweet and yet, I know that I should take that as a threat. "You either fuck _me_, right _now,_ and do it like you mean it, or I will fuck _you_ and things might not go as smoothly. Understood?"

I am overwhelmed by the urge to tell him I love him, and from the simultaneous need to tell him to go die somewhere and not boss me around.

His eyes are challenging. I purse my lips together and frown.

"Fine." I say, and just like when I was getting him ready, I thrust my dick inside him forcefully until I'm all the way in, and then pull out.

Shit, it feels great.

He grunts so loudly I feel a shiver run down my spine. I ignore that – since he was the one who asked for it – pull out again and then thrust in once more with firmness.

Sasuke moans and I see his hands closing into fists over the surface of the table, head tilted down.

I thrust again once, twice and he becomes vocal.

Oh, how vocal he becomes.

He likes it rough, huh. This is new to me – I've never had rough sex before, but it's a huge turn on.

_Huge_. I've always wanted to try it, so the fact that I'm trying it with _him_ is…

I let out a muffled groan as my mind becomes hazy with lust. I thrust, roughly and leisurely as my hips meet his buttocks over and over again, the constant hard clash of skin on skin making loud, slapping noises that fill the air next to our ragged breathings. I do it slowly, going deep, and then move faster, just for effect.

It feels so fucking good inside of him. I want to tell him that, but my throat has become constricted with pleasure.

The nails of both of my hands run over his back, starting over his shoulders and ceasing at the end of his spine, leaving angry red marks all over his ivory skin, coating it with the remnants of lube that my fingers still had.

"Fuck…" He blurts out, straightening up so that his back collides against my chest. "Ah, fuck…right there…"

I'm not sure what he's talking about, but I guess it has something to do with something inside him, some spot I just hit. My fingers reach out to close around his hair and I tug at it, forcing his head to tilt backwards until the nape is resting over my shouldr at the same time that I slam my cock harder inside of him, which causes him to gasp.

"You mean here?" I tease, breathlessly, my other hand moving down to grab hold of his erection. It's fucking leaking so much it's all slippery, but I give it a few awkward jerks all the same because something tells me he will like it, but it's unexpectedly hard to keep fucking him the way he wants and masturbate him at the same time.

He doesn't answer, but I don't need him to. I just want him moaning, and panting, and thinking about me only.

I bite his neck so hard he yelps indignantly.

"Fucking hell, Naruto!" He screeches, purposefully hitting my forehead with the back of his head, and even though he wants to hurt me back, I still don't feel the pain. "At least warn me if you're doing something like that! Oh, shit…do it more…do it harder…Naruto…faster…"

His silly babbling is confusing and I don't know what he's talking about, where he wants me to do what anymore and yet, I become even more riled up. A trickle of sweat slips from my temple and slides all the way down to my chin.

I feel close to my orgasm, and by the gentle throbbing of his cock I know he's close, too.

I want to cum so badly.

But I want to see his face when he comes.

I slip out of him rather suddenly and don't give him time for any kind of protest because I'm turning him around to face me before he can do anything else, picking him up easily and sitting him on the table. The poor thing is small and weak, but it'll have to do for now.

Sasuke's lust filled eyes gaze at me and he smirks knowingly when I place my palm flat over his chest to push him down so that he is lying over the unstable surface, legs spreading open for me invitingly so I can settle between them. I pull them up a bit, so I can see his hole once more, and waste no time in entering him again with full force, watching in awe as he closes his eyes and chews on his lower lip.

His legs come around my waist possessively to make me move and I do, but this time it's rougher, harder than before and the table sways with each of my violent thrusts.

Sasuke swears loudly, face contorted in pleasure and pain; looking too hot, too gorgeous and ravished as his hands reach out to rake over my chest and sides.

The exhilarating feeling of upcoming climax falls over me like hot, heavy rain. My vision becomes blurry and my chest constricts painfully with joy, ecstasy, longing, and so many other feelings for this - for _him_ - that I don't know where one ends and the other begins.

I take hold of Sasuke's wet cock again and pump it quickly in time with my erratic thrusts as he pants heavily, helplessly as if he doesn't know how to breathe properly. His arms stretch out and I lean forward to him so that they can go around my neck, and our mouths come into contact, open, wet and clumsy, but I don't care because when our tongues mingle I become lost.

He comes first, heaving a grave, indecent sigh that echoes through my brain and makes me go blind, muscles clenching around my cock and milking the life out of me. I feel his seed splashing all over my hand and both of our chests when my own orgasm hits me with full force, and all I can do is ride it as if my life depends on it, roughly, as fast as I can, moaning my own absurdities into his gasping mouth until there's nothing left.

When it's over, my head feels a bit fuzzy and I fall limply over him, ignoring the stickiness between us, my head resting on his shoulder.

We lay here for a while, hearts ramming against each other, trying to calm our heavy breathings.

Sasuke's legs are still around my waist but they don't press me closer with the same intensity as before.

I lift my head to look at him and he smiles at me, tiredly but contently. If he feels even the same amount of joy I do, he is very satisfied indeed.

"Hey there." He says softly, brushing a lock of fringe away from my sweaty forehead.

"Hey…" I reply, smiling back at him but more widely. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay, but thanks for the concern." Sasuke mutters, sarcastically. "Now please, get off, you're really heavy."

"Ah, you're mean after sex, after all." I pout falsely and press my lips to his chastely before getting up, breaking contact with him. More carefully this time, I slip out of him and move away so he can sit on the table with lazy slowness and then get up.

He stretches his arms over his head as if just waking up from a long night's sleep and I bring my hand to my softening penis to remove the condom to realize something is wrong.

I look down.

"Ah…" I mutter, surprised, looking at the mess down there. "I…guess I tore it."

Sasuke looks down at my cock as well and his eyebrows shoot upwards in disbelief.

"How the fuck did you do that?" He asks, bewildered.

"I don't know. It never happened before…" I muse, frowning. "Maybe I was too rough?"

"Condoms aren't supposed to tear so easily, dummy, no matter how rough you are." He says, rolling his eyes.

"It's a good thing you're not a girl, then," I tease, forgetting what I was supposed to do grabbing his hand with the one that wasn't full of semen and pulling him to me to hug his waist. "It's not like I'll get you pregnant, right?"

He snorts but grins a bit, caressing my arms lightly.

"You say the stupidest things," He whispers. "It's not like I mind, anyway, I know we're both clean…unlike those hands of yours."

"What? There's already sperm all over you, anyway." I reply, sheepishly, pressing my dirty hand to his lower back on purpose. "Too bad it's not my sperm, though."

"Speaking of which…" He says, planting gentle kisses over my cheek. "I hope you don't assume I'm a bottom just because I let you top."

I smiled as his lips pressed against my jawline.

"Of course not," I dismiss, grabbing his ass cheeks now, leaving yet another trail of the white fluid over his skin. "After this, I don't care who does what as long as we're doing it."

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Naruto," He says, kissing my mouth. "Because I'll make sure to let you know that I'm a great top, too."

"Hum, is that so? You'll make me hard again, talking like that," I say, chuckling softly. "And, is it just me or did you just say I'm a great top? You liked it that much?"

"Don't get cocky, idiot."

I nod my head in understanding and prefer to leave it at that. If Sasuke is a top, too, I'll just have to get used to it, because I sure as hell am not going to ruin this thing we have by being picky. I loved toping him, and that's all I know, but if he can make me like something else, than that's fine. I wouldn't do it for anyone else. I won't. Not after the shit we've gone through to be where we are today.

Ah, I just had sex with Sasuke. I'm so happy right now.

"I can't believe we just did it," I sigh, dreamily, touching my forehead to his. "It felt so good, too. I had never felt like that before during sex."

Sasuke eyes me affectionately and ruffles my hair.

"I'm sure we'll get the chance to do it many times more." He mumbles, almost sweetly kissing my forehead, and I glance at him, feeling my lips twitching upwards in a large beam.

"I sure as hell hope so!" I exclaim, happily. "It took me forever to have you; you have about a thousand years of debts to make up to me."

"We'll see about that." He says, condescendingly, but deep down, I'm sure, he's wishing the same thing.


End file.
